


The Quiet Before the Riot

by FireThatFox



Category: Naruto
Genre: Awkwardness that leads to romance, F/M, Gaara is facinated with Sakura, Japan/USA based locations and cultural themes, Kankuro got punished, Minor Gaara/Saka BTW, Modern AU, Sasori plots revenge, Shadow companies and Betrayal, Take overs and Mergers, international business AU, much to Tobirama and Sasori's annoyance, obito - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-14
Updated: 2021-01-23
Packaged: 2021-03-18 16:01:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 15
Words: 37,794
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28745859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FireThatFox/pseuds/FireThatFox
Summary: Sakura is chosen to accompany her boss, Tobirama Senju to America to check in on their newly acquired sister company of Uchiha and Senju Bros. Co., run by Sasori Akasuna.She was just a translator.  She knew the policies and regulations of her trade in over 58 countries around the world, she didn't know how to talk politics, who owned what sports team or the latest trends in fashion.  She didn't fit into this world, their world, why had Tobirama insisted she be the one to accompany him on this ridiculous trip, why had she accepted his offer to accompany him?It was a great opportunity for her, but was it worth the seemingly harmless yet intense attention of Sasori Akasuna, whom had taken an immediate interest in her from their very heated and unorthodox accidental introduction?Perhaps, perhaps not.  Either way Sakura is pushed into a world, if not for Tobirama, she would have remained blissfully ignorant of.
Relationships: Gaara & Haruno Sakura, Gaara/Haruno Sakura, Haruno Sakura & Sasori, Haruno Sakura & Senju Tobirama, Haruno Sakura/Sasori, Haruno Sakura/Senju Tobirama
Comments: 54
Kudos: 122





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Sakura will start off slightly naïve and clueless but she will find her fire soon enough.
> 
> Tobirama will show Sakura a bit of his softer side in time as well, allowing her to see the man behind the stern, cold gruffness.
> 
> Sasori is still canon creepy, a puppet master of a different theater, but just as cynical.

“You’re being sent to Detroit Michigan in the United States for a year with Mr. ‘I’m too serious to notice how hot I am’, Tobirama Senju?” Ino clutched both of her hands to her chest, closed her eyes and swooned dramatically onto Sakura’s bed, careful not to knock over the piles of clothes her friend was packing into her suitcases.

“Yes.” Sakura bit her bottom lip nervously between her teeth. A year. She would be leaving Japan for a whole year.

Ino lifted her head up and gave her friend a sympathetic look.

“You’ve never been out of the country before, have you Sakura?” Ino already knew the answer to her question, they had been best friends since they were five years old.

“No.” Sakura swallowed hard. She was nervous, it was a big deal, but she was ready for it, she could do this! “At least I won't be leaving anyone behind but you.” Sakura tried to smile at her friend. Her parents had died in her last year of college, and her boyfriend had well, just broken up with her.

“For sure, the timing couldn’t be better. How long has it been since you guys broke up? Three, no four weeks right?” Ino knew it had only been two. It would be good for Sakura to get out of Japan, maybe meet someone new.

“Two Ino, It’s only been two weeks since Sasuke broke up with me, cheated on me with that, that woman and ended our relationship of three years.” Sakura picked up a shirt, shook it out, considered it, then threw it in the ‘Throw away’ pile at the end of her bed. “I need to buy some new clothes.” She muttered.

“New clothes, for a new you. Let’s go shopping before you go. You don’t leave for three more days right? One last girl’s day out before I don’t see you for a year okay?” Ino smiled at her best friend. She was really going to miss her.

“You said you would come visit me at Christmas though right? We can drive to New York or I don’t know, whatever American’s do for Christmas.” Sakura said hopefully.

“New York City is at least four hours from Detroit I think, isn’t it?” Ino frowned, she couldn’t remember where NYC was in comparison to Detroit, but she had heard from the world news, they were both dangerous cities, which is why she was happy Tobirama Senju would be going with Sakura on her business trip.

“Maybe Tobirama will go with us?” Ino asked hopefully.

“I doubt it. Tobirama is great and everything but he doesn’t strike me as a big joiner, or the kind of person who would enjoy going to a large city with two women. In fact, I doubt he will say more than what is necessary to me for the whole year we are there together.” Sakura tilted her head to the side contemplating her work partner. “There is no one I would rather have go with me though, he’s dependable, works harder than anyone else I know and is smart, really smart.” Sakura stuffed a pile of socks into the side of her suitcase and zipped it up. 

“Yeah, cause that’s what you should look for in a man, intelligence.” Ino rolled her eyes. “He was also number three on the circuit, second to his brother, who was second, only to Madara Uchiha for the last five years before retiring his title to work for his family’s company. He’s also a millionaire you know.” Ino pointed out as though Sakura was unaware who her boss really was.

“You’re point Ino?” Sakura rolled her eyes and smiled at her friend.

“My point is, yes, you’re a hard worker, yes, you’re dependable, but that those can’t be the only reason’s he’s taking you. There has to be another reason he picked you out of all the other applicants for this overseas project!” Ino waved her hands in the air to further emphasize her point.

“Maybe it was my stellar punctuality that set me apart from the rest.” Sakura said sarcastically as she threw her second suitcase on her bed and began sorting through her remaining clothes. “I don’t think I need to take anything else.”

“You only packed one suitcase, Sakura.” Ino raised a perfectly manicured brow at her friend in disbelief. She would have packed at least three suitcases.

“I don’t need anything else. I have four suits and can mix and match the blouses or skirts for the fifth work day. I have two pairs of jeans and three off hours shirts, one coat, one jacket and one pair of shorts with a matching tank top.” Sakura looked at Ino. “What else do I need? My socks, underwear and bras are in the front pouch with my toothbrush and toothpaste.”

“Hair dryer, make up, shampoo, face cream, night mask, nail polish, lotion…” Ino droned on and on, flicking the count off all ten of her fingers, curling her fingers into a fist, then counting off more items on the newly reformed fingers.

“I don’t have a converter for my hair dryer. I was going to buy one when I got there and I don’t need makeup, face cream or all that other stuff.” Sakura pulled a tube of shiny clear lip gloss from her pocket and waved it in Ino’s face. “I have this.”

“Oh my gosh Sakura, it’s a wonder you ever managed to bag Sasuke in the first place!” Ino had tried for years to get Sakura to wear more makeup, to do her nails or hair once in a while. Hell, she had even offered to pay for it herself to treat her friend, but Sakura was a hopeless plain Jane. “Would it kill you to buy a tinted lip gloss?”

“Sasuke didn’t cheat on me because I didn’t do my hair or wear cherry red lipstick Ino. He cheated on me because I wouldn’t sleep with him before we were married.” Sakura pulled the empty suitcase off her bed and set it next to her bedroom wall.

“I know, I’m sorry, that was kinda a jerk thing to say. You’re beautiful Sakura, a little touch here and there would only accentuate your natural beauty!” Ino insisted and apologized at once.

“Tell you what Ino, you can come over the morning I leave for the United States and do my makeup for me okay? Just remember, I’ll be on the plane for over 23 hours and switching airports almost a third of the way there.” Sakura smiled at the gleam in her friend’s eye.

“I’ll be here before you wake up!” Ino was pleased. “First, we’re going shopping! I noticed you didn’t put any evening wear into your suitcase. You’ll be going out to dinner while you’re there for work right?” Ino asked her.

“I was going to just wear one of my suits because…” Sakura was cut off by a piercing high pitched whine from Ino.

“Nooooo girl, you’re hopeless! We’ll get you two dresses for evening dinners when we go shopping and maybe two for casual wear!” Ino clapped her hands together excited. “Come on, humor me Sakura, it’ll be fun.” Ino insisted.

“Well, maybe.” Sakura cast a furtive glance at her singular suitcase. Perhaps it was a bit sad of her to take only one suitcase with her. She would be gone for a year, she would need something to bring souvenirs and other things she would buy for herself while she was there back home with her right? Maybe a dress or two wouldn’t hurt, she used to wear dresses all the time, why she had stopped, she couldn’t recall.

“Okay.” She gave into Ino who jumped and hugged her around the neck causing both women to fall back onto the bed in a fit of giggles that reminded them of their teen years.

“I’m really going to miss you Ino.” Sakura said, her arms spread out over her head, her friend at her side likewise spread out over her bed.

“Right back at you, but remember, I’ll come see you for Christmas. So even if you meet the man of your dreams and fall in love, I still have dibs on you for the holidays.” Ino winked, making Sakura erupt into a fit of giggles once more.

“You got it babe.” Sakura smiled. Yeah, she was going to miss Ino.

Tobirama ignored the agitated fidgeting of his older brother and business partner Hashirama as he slowly, but methodically packed his suitcase.

Hashirama had been nearly silent on their ride home from their office that evening, a highly unusual occurrence for his rather annoyingly animated older sibling. In fact, Hashirama had been rather silent since Tobirama announced, out of all the qualified applicants, that he would be taking Sakura Haruno, to the United States with him, instead of the candidate the board had picked.

The board being himself, his older brother Hashirama Senju, Madara Uchiha and his younger brother Izuna Uchiha.

It had taken considerable influence from Hashirama to keep Madara from protesting openly about Tobirama’s choice of travel partner and business associate. Izuna, simply smirked a knowing smirk, his dark eyes boring into Tobirama’s after Tobirama’s announcement that morning.

After a short lunch break, where Hashirama had no doubt convinced Madara that Tobirama’s choice was a sound one and one in the best interest of their company, all parties had conceded to his choice and set the rest of their plan in motion going over the most important contracts, changes in policy for their sister company in the United States and trade agreements.

It was a risk. Their venture was still new. Tobirama knew this and must have had a good reason to choose such a green employee to take with him. The contracts alone would be nearly half of their black revenue for the year, excluding any contacts they hoped to gain while they were there. Therein lay the risk in taking such a green representative. Sakura, while intelligent, clever and qualified for her current position in their company, lacked the experience needed to find, establish and maintain such lofty contacts.

Hashirama couldn’t even begin to guess what his brother had been thinking when he had picked Sakura to accompany him. Except one. She would annoy him the least out of all the candidates that had applied to go with him.

Hashirama sighed. That was it, wasn’t it. He rubbed his palms over his face just as Tobirama shoved the last pair of socks into his suitcase and zipped it up.

“Tobi…” Hashirama opened his mouth to speak his mind.

Tobirama had been waiting for this moment all evening and interrupted him before he could hit his stride. 

“When our father died and left the company to us you came to me and begged me to merge our company with the Uchiha’s.” Tobirama rounded on his brother, his arms crossed over his chest. “You wanted to end what you saw as a pointless war of enterprise am I correct?”

“You are but…” Hashirama was cut off again.

“I agreed, after much protest, I agreed to hear you out and now we are one of the most successful companies in Japan, so much in fact we have bought out and merged two smaller raw material and agricultural goods companies in the United States.” Tobirama pushed his point.

Hashirama nodded. “Yes Tobi but…”

“I trusted you. I didn’t think it was a good idea to merge with the Uchiha. I thought they would try to double cross us and steal our company, to push us out and undermine us, but I trusted you and so far, it has gone well.” His voice was gruff but strong.

“Trust me, Sakura is the right person for the job.” Tobirama turned his back to his brother, lifted his suitcase from his bed and walked to the door of his room, turning back and calling out over his shoulder before he stepped out into the hallway. “She’s personable, whereas I am not.”

“Oh.” Was all Hashirama said as he watched the cuff of his brother’s suit pants whip around the corner into the hall. “Oh!” Hashirama smiled, he understood now. Yes, Tobi was right, Sakura was the right person for the job.

“...but what about Akasuna?” Hashirama muttered to himself under his breath. 

Sakura was indeed more personable than Tobirama and would be a decorative and disarming showpiece for the table but could she contend with Sasori Akasuna’s sharp tongue and cutthroat wit without cowering? He wasn’t sure. They had kept the man after the merger to head their US division for a reason, and it wasn’t because of his blood red hair or piercing amber eyes.

The man was under their employ to be sure but he was also ruthlessly clever, had zero tolerance for error and was not above driving his staff to tears to get the results he demanded from them. Complaints by the hundreds had flooded their Human Resources department after the merger about the man’s ‘Lack of empathy for common humanity’.

Would such an inexperienced employee such as Sakura thrive under his tutelage? Tobirama would be with her but he wouldn’t be with her all the time. Unfortunately, most of her time would be spent shadowing Akasuna and his more or less grey affairs on behalf of Uchiha & Senju Bros. Co.

Sakura would be expected to handle the ground work while Tobirama juggled competing executives, only calling on Sakura when he needed her assistance for settling and barking out contracts for their raw materials and agricultural goods translations and policies.

“Shit.” The more and more Hashirama thought about it, the less confident he was in his decision to support his brother’s choice of business companion. There were still three days before Tobirama left for the United States, maybe he could still change his mind, maybe his brother would reconsider and take someone else, some one more, heartless and thus durable.

Someone with more fortitude and capable of withstanding Akasuna’s ruthless business tactics.


	2. Chapter 2

Amber eyes drifted lazily over the scattered papers on his desk. Three days. One of the four men who had bought his family’s company would be here in four days to oversee the final stages of their buyout and merger.

Sasori sighed. How annoyingly unnecessary.

Slim, agile finger tips drummed a steady pace against the woodgrain of his ancient desk. The desk his Uncle had moved into this very office almost fifty years ago when he had founded this company.

Akasuna Agriculture Acquisition Inc. was no more. Sasori scoffed at the papers on his desk again. An itinerary, two different schedules he had memorized before he had even finished reading the outline and the small stack of high priority contracts. The contracts, the real reason for the visit.

Sasori glanced down at the itinerary again, noting one for him and his new ‘shadow’, the other for the second Senju brother. The younger Senju was far too predictable for his own good. However, Sasori had never met anyone else, other than himself, who planned out their entire year, almost down to the hour.

The Uchiha and the Senju weren’t your average businessmen. There was a reason their families had been in business for the last century, successfully. They had wealth. They had power, but they were also a four man team. Thus far, they had used that to their advantage. Sasori however, had been a one man team, since his conception.

It was difficult enough at times to get two heads of a whole to agree, much less four. Sasori continued to stare down at the papers on his desk. He knew what he needed to do, it was the waiting that irked him. He still had two more days until he would be in position to fully evaluate his enemy. He hated to be kept waiting, but it was unavoidable.

Sasori sighed heavily once more then leaned back in his seat, his fingers resting against the wood. If he had only been in the country when it had happened, he could have easily prevented this ridiculous debacle. Buyout indeed. 

“Merger my ass.” Sasori flicked his pen across the room, watched as it stuck the custom painted wall and stuck point first three inches into the drywall.

Kankuro had been punished for his weakness that had allowed the Senju and the Uchiha brothers to underbid their most profitable domestic contracts, but Akasuna Acquisitions was world wide, or at least it had been when he, Sasori, had been running the company. 

“...and it will be again, once I get rid of these pests.” Sasori pressed the flats of his palms against the smooth surface of his desk and pushed himself up and out of his chair. “Enjoy ownership while you can Senju, Uchiha...soon, I will have everything back where it should be. Under my control.”

“Then…” He twisted the brass knob of his office door and walked down the hall toward the stairs. “I will eliminate you and all that you hold dear, one acquisition at a time. I will cut off all of your financial backing, all of your investments. I will take everything you have built, everything your father’s built and burn it to the ground.”

Pulling his phone from his pocket he dialed his nephew Gaara. Gaara picked up on the first ring, like he always did when Sasori called him. Sasori didn’t even wait for an acknowledgement. “I need you to come to the US. Be sure to arrive within three days. I am expecting company from Japan and would feel more comfortable with, a family member, close at hand.”

“Hnm.” Was the only sound from the other end of the line confirming his nephew had heard him. Compliance was assumed. Gaara had never disobeyed him.

“The car will be waiting for you when you arrive.” Sasori hung his phone up and slipped it into his pocket. 

If only Gaara could have been there when the take over had taken place, his company would still be his and this ridiculous scheme of his would be unnecessary, but Gaara had been with him in South America at the time overseeing their other company. One the Uchiha and the Senju weren’t aware of because it was under Gaara’s name, not Sasori’s.

“The things I’m forced to do to maintain order in my life.” Sasori tilted his head back as he stepped out of the stairwell into the long plain hallways, pressed his right palm to the hidden sensor in the wall at the base of the seemingly pointless picture hanging on the wall of a field of flowers, and stepped down into a darkened lower stair well. 

“Time to prepare for my ‘guests’.” Automatic lights flickered on as he entered his private office.

Hashirama grunted as he took a well placed kick to his abdomen. It had been quite some time since his brother and he had last spared, clearly Tobirama had kept up on his training since his retirement from the circuit, whereas he, had not.

“Easy Tobi.” Hashirama laughed, ducking quickly then crouching low to avoid a jab and a reach. “What’s got you so tense hum? Afraid of flying?”

Tobirama ignored Hashirama’s taunts, shifting his weight from his right to his left and bringing his leg up, his foot hooked, pulling Hashirama down to the floor by the back of the knee, rolling and pinning him to the ground on top of him in a triangle hold.

“Okay okay!” Hashirama’s fist struck the mat beside them several times. “I give up geeze!”

Tobirama let his brother go, rolled to the side, then flipped back up onto his feet effortlessly.

“Seriously though, what’s gotten into you today Tobi?” Hashirama was still breathing heavily, but managed to give his brother a look of concern. “You’re usually not quite this brutal when we spar.”

“Ever since we merged Akasuna Agriculture Acquisitions with Smithson & Barr’s, it’s been bothering me. There’s something not right about that man, something our investigation on him, his family, his background didn’t reveal. He’s hiding something I know it. I just can’t figure out what it is.” Tobirama took the bottled water Hashirama was holding out to him with a nod.

“You did your regular extensive investigation on the man Tobi, like you do before any buyout. You're the one who advised us to make our move while he was out of the country. Everything went smoothly. Sure the man is a bit bitter, but we did keep him on to run the company in our stead. It’s what we always do, to make sure the merger and transition goes well. Who better to run the company than the former owner.” Hashirama thought everything was going well. 

Sure there were a few hiccups in the beginning, a few awkward moments of hostility when Sasori Akasuna had returned from South America to find his nephew had signed the papers for their takeover but all in all, it had gone far better than any of them had hoped. Honestly, from all the rumours he had heard of the man, Hashirama had expected a bloodbath upon his return.

“Kankuro Sabaku is a moron. Akasuna never should have left the boy in charge of his company while he was out of the country.” That wasn’t the point Tobirama had been trying to make though. “On paper the man is entirely clean, too clean.”

“Ah.” Hashirama nodded. “So are we.” He pointed out.

“Exactly, and so are the Uchiha and we all know what nefarious no good they have gotten up to in the past.” Tobirama met his brother eye for eye. “They only went straight, when you insisted they did. Even now, I’m not convinced Izuna has given up all of his little ‘Side projects’.” Tobirama screwed the cap back onto his water and tossed it across the room into the trash bin.

“You’ll be in Detroit in two days Tobi, you’ll get your answers then. I’m sure you uncovered everything there was to uncover about Akasuna, you’re just a bit paranoid because you weren’t able to be there when we signed the papers.” Hashirama patted his brother on the back and rose to his feet stretching.

“I suppose.” Tobirama was still apprehensive. Akasuna’s record was too clean like he had said, but it didn’t mean it was flawless. Several charges had been brought up against the man from assault to extortion but they had all been mysteriously dropped.

“One thing Tobi.” Hashirama looked down at his brother where he was still sitting on the dojo mats. “Akasuna is sharp and he doesn’t hold his words back. He doesn’t hold himself to the social norm. Uh Sakura, she might…”

“Don’t worry about Sakura. I’ve made a slight adjustment to our schedules. She will shadow Akasuna and I equally. I want her to get as much experience as she can out of this trip.” Tobirama rose to stand beside his brother. “I want to train her to take over our foriegn affairs division. She’ll need a back bone for it. I’m hoping this trip will give her the motivation to find one”

“What?” Hashirama was surprised, this was the first he had been hearing about this. “Did she ask for this? Does she want a promotion? That is terribly risky Tobi. She has only been with us for two years. Madara only hired her because she was dating his nephew and…” It wasn’t like Tobirama to take risks, particularly with other people.

“She may have been hired into the company out of favor but she has more than proven her worth. I heard Madara’s nephew broke off their attachment to one another. It’s time she forged her own way in our company. She has the education, now she just needs the experience.” Tobirama began to walk away from his brother, cutting off the possibility for a long drawn out conversation he really didn’t want to have with the man.

“You mean you chose her because you really thought she was the most qualified to go with you?” Hashirama was stunned.

“Why the hell else would I have picked her?” Tobirama turned around to glare at his brother. 

“Well, she’s pretty and…”

“Idiot.” Tobirama turned his back to his brother. “I’m not Izuna.” Tobirama picked his workout bag up from the floor after bowing out of the room and walked out the front door of their family dojo. 

“See you when I get back.” He called out over his shoulder.

“Yeah.” Hashirama rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “See you in a year Tobi.”


	3. Chapter 3

“Twenty one hours on an airplane with Tobirama Senju, I’m so jealous! Will you be sitting next to one another? Please tell me you got business class seating!” Ino squealed making several people turn their heads toward the blonde and her friend. “Call me as soon as you land! I want to know everything!”

“I can’t call you when I land, my cell phone won’t work there remember? I’ll call you as soon as I get a new one.” Sakura stirred her tea and smiled at her friend.

“Why isn’t the company getting you a cell?” Ino asked curiously. “My dad always gets temporary ones for his employees that travel overseas. Hey I could see if he’ll give me one for you if you like?” Ino offered.

“Tobirama didn’t say anything about providing a phone for me when he went over our schedule yesterday but then again, he only spoke about the schedule so…” Sakura trailed off.

“Why didn’t you ask him? Call him now and ask.” Ino suggested.

Sakura shook her head. “I don’t want to bother him.”

“Bother him? You’re going to be in a foreign country for a year, Sakura, these are reasonable questions.” Ino added gently. “He might be wondering why you haven’t asked him about it, did you ever think of that?”

“Hum.” Sakura hadn’t thought of that. That did seem like something Tobirama would do. He was a terribly observant man, proven to test people’s fortitude in an off hand and casual nature from time to time. Was he testing her? Was that why he had picked her?

“Here.” Sakura looked up to see her phone in her face. “Call him now.” Ino smirked.

“I can’t do that, it’s only noon and I don’t know what he’s doing, he might be busy getting ready for the trip, wrapping personal things up at the last minute…” Sakura protested.

“It’s ringing.” Ino shoved the phone in Sakura’s face making her gasp and sputter.

“Hello? Haruno?” Tobirama’s gruff voice could be heard through the receiver. 

Ino smirked again and waved her hands in front of her urging Sakura to say something.

“Uh, uh hello uh Tobirama sama. I called you by accident, sorry.” Sakura said lamely.

“I see.”, was his bland, bored reply. “Well, if there is nothing else…”

“Wait um, since I have you on the phone um…” Sakura licked her lips nervously and closed her eyes. “Will I get a company phone?” She blurted out loudly.

There was a long pause on the other end of the phone. Sakura almost thought he had hung up on her.

“Didn’t you get the box I sent you this morning Miss Haruno?” Tobirama asked her.

“Box?” Sakura repeated stupidly. “No box, I mean, no Sir I didn’t see a box on my doorstep this morning before I left my house. Perhaps, uh, perhaps it was delivered while I was out. I’ll check when I get back, sorry to bother you Sir.” Sakura pulled the phone from her head slowly, but before she could hit the grey end button Tobirama’s voice sounded again.

“You didn’t bother me. I wondered why you hadn’t asked me about your accommodations before now. The details of your accommodations are written out for you with a small city guide from my brother, a care package from Madara Uchiha and a wrapped parcel from Izuna San.” He told her before her line went dead.

“A care package from Madara? Wrapped parcel?” Sakura looked at Ino bewildered. He hadn’t told her if there was a phone for her in the box or not.

“Screw the movies, we’re going back to your house to see what the hell is in that package!” Ino threw some bills down at their table in the café and pulled Sakura to her feet. “Come on!”

Sakura and Ino stared into the now opened box speechless.

“What?” Sakura reached in and pulled out a long bamboo case. “Is this what I think it is? Why the hell would Madara Sama give me a sword to take to America with me?” She looked at Ino who simply shook her head just as bewildered as Sakura at the gesture.

“There’s a note I think.” Ino pointed to a corner of white paper sticking out of the bamboo where the lid joined with the bottom of the box.

Sakura lifted the lid from the box carefully and gasped. It was a sword, a very nice sword. “I don’t know how to use this. I mean, I started to learn when Sasuke and I first began dating but…”

“Read the note maybe?” Ino plucked the small white piece of paper from the box and unfolded it.

“Sakura, all Americans think us Japanese know not only how to forge swords but know how to wield them as well. Hang this on the wall of your temporary home to ward off would be ‘bad dates’.” Ino pursed her lips when she finished reading the note. “I don’t think he’s joking.” She laughed out loud.

“Probably not, knowing him, and I do know him fairly well.” Sakura rolled her eyes and picked up the small brown paper wrapped package from Izuna, tearing the paper on the end to reveal a set of combs and a note of his own. “I meant to give these to you for your birthday but you won’t be here.” She read out loud.

“Men of very few words, those Uchiha.” Ino said amused. “They’re going to miss you.” Her eyes were gentle as she looked at her friend. “Look a phone!” Ino grabbed the phone from the bottom of the box and pulled it from it’s wrapper.

“I’m going to miss them too.” Sakura admitted. “Sasuke and I dated for three years but it wasn’t just that. We’ve been friends almost as long as you and I have been friends. When my parents died, his family, they kind of took me in and made me one of them, they’re family now, kinda.”

“I know.” Ino remembered the day they walked out the front door of Konoha University for girls and saw the sleek black limo waiting for Sakura out front. Obito had nodded and waved to her, explaining that Madara Sama had sent the family car for her, that she would be eating dinner at the Uchiha estate that night.

Everyday after class since that first day, he had been there, to take her home to eat dinner with them, and then home to her lonely empty house until the next afternoon. Ino was grateful to them, jealous of them in a way for doing for Sakura what she hadn’t been able to do, but mostly grateful.

“You know at least one of them will come visit you while you’re in America right?” Ino brushed the hair back from Sakura’s forehead and smiled warmly at her. “They’ll miss you too much if they don’t.”

“You mean they don’t trust Tobirama Senju alone with me, halfway around the world.” Sakura said more accurately. “I submitted my request to join him as a joke, a joke instigated by Izuna of all people.”

“Izuna was the one who talked you into applying for the trip?” Ino tapped her fingernails against her front teeth thoughtfully. She knew Sakura never would have applied for this opportunity on her own and wondered how it had come about. “Interesting.”

“Is it?” Sakura asked curiously as she set the combs back into their velvet box and placed the box next to her bamboo encased katana.

“Well yeah, I thought Izuna San and Tobirama didn’t get along, why would he…” Ino trailed off, lost in her own world.

Sakura shrugged. “Who knows why Izuna does anything. He’s the one who told me to hurry up and go back to the apartment the night I found Sasuke with that woman, like he knew they were there and I would find them. Like he wanted me to find them together.”

Ino’s head snapped to the side to look at her friend with narrowed eyes. “You never told me that! You told me you guys broke up, that he dumped you.” 

“Is it really that important? I was more concerned with the slut in my bed with my boyfriend at the time Ino.” Sakura took a deep breath. “For whatever reason, I suppose I owe Izuna my gratitude, and he did dump me Ino. What else do you call cheating?” Sakura was annoyed. She didn’t want to spend her last moments in Japan before she left talking about Sasuke and how he had cheated on her, in her own bed, their bed.

“Well...whatever. Are you excited yet? Nervous?” Ino grinned at her friend, picking up her combs and zipping them into the side pocket of one of her suitcases, placing the katana in the other nearly empty suitcase, making sure it was securely wrapped up against the side. “You want this in your carry on?” Ino tucked the phone into the front pocket of Sakura’s carry-on bag without waiting for an answer.

“It’s a good thing Madara got you a wakizashi and not a full length katana huh?” Ino tipped the suitcase back to standing and leaned it against the wall.

“Yeah.” Sakura said absently as she flipped through the pages of the book that had accompanied the combs and the katana in the box Tobirama had sent her. “I get my own apartment at least.” She held up the picture of her new apartment for Ino to see with a grin.

“It looks nice doesn’t it?” Sakura smiled. “It’s almost as big as my house.”

“I hear things are five times as big in America as they are in Japan, Sakura.” Ino winked at her friend, making her blush.

“That’s only Texas Ino.” Sakura said with flat seriousness as she continued to flip through the guidebook Hashirama had sent her. “Look, it has a pool.” She said, pointing to a picture in the book so Ino could see.

“Isn’t that the apartment building owned by the former owner? What’s his name, that guy from Wind country, Akasuna or something?” Ino tapped the bottom of the picture where the former company emblem could be seen just under the entrance of the complex. A scorpion holding a desert blossom in one of its pincers.

“I hear he’s a real piece of work. My father refuses to do business with him. I hear he’s brutal and doesn’t always do business within the law, that’s why he moved from Wind country to the United States. He attracted too much attention in Japan and moved his operations west. Their policies are much more lenient over there to attract foreign trade. They give tax breaks to foreign company start ups too.” Ino took the guide from Sakura’s hands and pushed it into her carry on bag beside her suitcase.

“Enough talk of business though, tonight's our last night together for a while.” Ino walked into the kitchen and pulled a bottle of wine from the shelf that she had put in there before they had left that morning to go shopping. “Time to watch trashy movies and celebrate your next great adventure Sakura!” Ino pulled two glasses from Sakura’s cupboard and walked back into her living room.

“Okay, but I don’t want to drink too much. I have to wake up early, remember?” Sakura took one of the glasses of wine from her friend with a stern look or warning. “The last thing I need is to be hung over on an airplane with Tobirama Senju, flying miles over the Sea of Japan toward the Atlantic.”

“Don’t you go the other way Sakura? Across the Pacific toward California?” Ino asked, sipping her wine.

“I’m not sure.” Sakura didn’t really care, it had just hit her hard that she was leaving for a whole year. She was excited, nervous and more than slightly terrified. She had never been brave like Ino, looking for new places and people in the face without fear. “Ino?” Sakura’s voice was small.

“I can do this right? Whatever it is Tobirama wants me there for, I can handle it right?” She asked her friend seriously.

Ino set her wine glass down and took both of her friends' hands in her own after she had set her wine down on her coffee table. “I know you can Sakura, and so does Tobirama, or he wouldn’t have picked you to go with him. Have a little more faith in yourself Sakura. You’re not that scared little girl you were back in our academy days anymore.”

“You can do this.”

“I can do this.” Sakura repeated to herself as she stepped into the airport the next morning after stepping out of the Uchiha limo and hugging Obito a tear-filled goodbye.


	4. Chapter 4

Tobirama watched Sakura walk into the airport and look left then right before spotting him by the counter line to check in for their flight. He watched as she visibly straightened her back, stuck out her chin and walked over to where he was in line, ignoring the other passengers who gave her a speculative eye as though she were cutting in line before them, which she was.

“I have your boarding information with me already, I was just waiting for your bags before checking us in. I didn’t want to waste time, so I got in line when I got here.” Tobirama gave her a quick once over.

She was in a modest suit of dark grey, her normally fly away hair pulled back into a professional clip so her locks fell down the side of her face rather than in her face. Her expression was anything from excited to scared shitless. She would need to work on containing and masking her emotions better. She was too expressive and naively transparent.

“How did you know I would get here before you made it to the counter?” Sakura asked him forgetting the normal professional greeting to stem her curiosity.

“You’re never late. In fact, one of the reasons I picked you was because you are routinely punctual.” He dead panned making her eyes go wide, her lips twitching.

“Oh my gosh and I was just joking.” She muttered under her breath.

“What did you say, Miss Haruno?” Tobirama had heard her, but he didn’t understand why she was offended by his attempted compliment.

“Nothing sir, just something my friend and I had discussed before I left.” She looked up in reply. “Nonsense really.” She tried to smile at him.

“I see.” He looked down at her for a moment, opened his mouth, then shut it again. “I’m glad you got to spend some time with your friend before leaving.” His tone was formal, but his sentimentality surprised her, making her cheeks flush.

If he noticed he didn’t say anything. She ducked her head in embarrassment.

“Me too.” Sakura adjusted the strap to her carry on bag over her shoulder. “Looks like we’re next.” She nodded to the man several paces to the left who had just left the counter, then at the attendant who was looking at them expectantly.

“Of course.” Tobirama pulled on the handle of one of two suitcases Sakura had wheeled into line with her. “Two suitcases and a carry on correct?” He asked her.

“Yes, but one of my suitcases is almost empty. You know, just in case right?” She laughed at herself in embarrassment.

“Right.” He grunted before dragging not only his own suitcase but her heavier one to the counter with him. Sakura followed a few paces behind, her head hung low, she was an idiot. He probably already regretted choosing her to go with him to America.

“Thank you.” Sakura mumbled quietly under her breath.

Had he done it wrong? Hashirama told him before he left to make sure he was a gentleman to Sakura. That even though he was her boss she was still a friend of the family, even if it wasn’t their family, and he should do his best to make her more comfortable.

“It’s her first time out of the country Tobi. No doubt she’ll be scared.” Hashirama had looked at him with those big, brown puppy dog eyes of his while Izuna and Madara had sat across the living room table from him, identical smirks on their faces.

“Your point Hashirama?” Tobirama gave each man a gimlet eye, what the hell was this, an intervention?

“His point, Tobirama, is that you’re not the warmest or most talkative of souls and while you are both a respectable and shrewd businessman, you probably won’t be the ideal travel companion for young Sakura.” Madara said in one quick articulate sentence what his brother had been trying to tell him in the last twelve hours. “So try to be a bit nicer to her if you can.”

“I treat her with respect and professionalism. She is a valuable employee.” Tobirama didn’t understand why they had come over to speak to him about something so trivial, en masse.

Izuna set his whiskey tumbler down on the table in between them with a loud thunk. “Sakura is special to us, as you know. Sasuke was an idiot and broke her heart, so much, that she applied to go halfway around the world to forget him. Just, for once, don’t be a complete robotic prick okay? I know you like her, why else would you choose her to go with you?”

“You…” Tobirama balled his fingers into a fist. 

“Izuna.” Madara warned his brother with a word, then turned his dark obsidian eyes back to Tobirama. “What my little brother meant to say, is she may be a bit more fragile than you’re used to her being so maybe buy her a coffee while you wait for your flight to ease the tension.”

“Carry her suitcase for her!” Hashirama chimed in.

“Carry her...I’m not going to carry the woman’s luggage for her for kami’s sake that’s ridiculous, I’m still her boss.” Tobirama glared at his brother.

“Sakura can carry her own luggage. I doubt she’ll bring more than one suitcase with her anyway.” Madara took a healthy swallow of whiskey. “Unless that Yamanaka got her painted claws into her while she was packing.”

“Ino is with her now. They’re having a girl’s night before Sakura leaves in the morning.” Izuna reported dutifully.

“You keep tabs on her?” Tobirama’s tone was incredulous. “Whatever for?”

“As I said before, Sakura is very important to us. We’ve kept a protective eye on her since the untimely death of her parents. For her own protection.” Madara glanced at Hashirama, then Izuna. “Take good care of our girl while you’re in America Tobirama. We’re trusting you.”

“Yes.” Izuna picked his tumbler back up off the table. “We’re trusting you.”

“Hmph.” Tobirama crossed his arms over his chest. Trusting me, a Senju with one of your seemingly Uchiha prized possessions...ridiculous. “You have nothing to worry about. I have everything under control.”

Madara and Izuna shared an indiscernible look, then nodded in unison.

“Thank you for choosing Kansai International Airport, enjoy your flight.” The counter attendant bowed to both himself and Sakura as another attendant tagged and pushed their luggage onto a conveyor belt against the wall behind them.

“Thank you.” Tobirama turned to Sakura and waved his hand to the left. “Shall we?”

“Yes.” Her voice was barely audible above the ambient noise of the airport and it was then Tobirama realized just how terrified she really was. A stab of guilt and pity laced his features as they made their way to the first security checkpoint. He would make more of an effort to comfort her if he had to.

“After we pass the security bar, would you like to stop for a coffee at the cafe?” He offered, pleased to see her eyes light up and a smile spread across her face. “My treat?” He added as an obvious after thought.

“Yes! Please, that would be great. I admit, I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night, I was so nervous about today. I’ve never been on an airplane before.” She admitted as they waited in line side by side at the security check.

“There will be plenty of time for you to sleep on the plane Sakura, but perhaps it might be prudent to stay up as long as possible to avoid as much jet lag as you can. The first few weeks of our stay are going to be the most crucial. It is important for us to make a good impression on our sister company and to set the highest standard for the American employees. They tend to be a bit more relaxed than their Japanese counterparts.” He tried to smile what he hoped was a good humored smile but must have failed miserably from her lack of response.

“Right.” Sakura studied her hands and feet, looking down and avoiding his eyes.

“What’s wrong?” He demanded as they shuffled closer and closer to the metal detectors. He was trying his best to make her feel more at ease. Was he doing it wrong?

“Hum? Oh nothing Tobirama sama.” Sakura tried to laugh but her voice squeaked. “I just realized how different it’s going to be, culture shock you know.”

“Akasuna is Japanese, from what I hear he runs the company in the same fashion we run Uchiha and Senju here. The culture shock should be minimal, at least in the beginning.” He tried to reassure her. “Change is unavoidable Sakura, if you wish to move ahead.” He said a bit more gently, a tad more sincerely.

Sakura looked up from her hands where her fingers were twined together and looked at the white haired man beside her. Was he trying to cheer her up? “Thanks Tobirama sama.”

“Tobirama.” Tobirama said quickly before he could stop himself.

“What?” Sakura cocked her head to the side giving him a funny look.

“Please, Sakura, call me Tobirama, if you like. We’ll be in America for a year with one another, we might as well be...friends. Don’t you agree?” His heart thrummed in his chest and he held his breath.

“Okay, Tobirama.” Sakura smiled, her green eyes crinkling up into cute little half moons of pleasure at his kindness. “Thanks!”

“You’re welcome, Sakura.” Tobirama cleared his throat and motioned her to go ahead of him when the security guard called them forward.

‘I did it Hashirama, I had a regular conversation with her. I tried it, like you said and asked her to call me by my first name’, he took a deep breath and walked through the sensor, picking his belt up from the plastic bin on the other side while watching Sakura out of the corner of his eye. 

There were many reasons he had chosen Sakura to accompany him to America. Many professional reasons and one, not quite as professional of a reason.

He remembered the first day he had met Sakura by the vending machines in the executive breakroom on the sixth floor of the Senju and Uchiha main tower. 

He had walked into the breakroom intending to get a quick bottle of water before his next meeting, preferring the brand that particular vending machine stocked, verses the imported water the Uchiha favored that was typically served during their meetings, to find a pink haired woman on her hands and knees in front of the farthest vending machine in the corner of the room cursing her brains out.

“Excuse me.” He had said in his typically stern voice. “What in kami’s universe are you doing woman?”

“What the hell does it look like? I’m trying to get my chocolate bar?” Her seemingly fragile wrist and arm were bent at the most uncomfortably looking angle as she swiped her hand back and forth, ineffectually trying to dislodge her candybar that had only come halfway from its place on the shelf of the vending machine, taunting her mercilessly.

“Allow me, get off the floor woman you’re getting dirty for heaven’s sake, step aside.” He pulled her up from the ground by the waist and set her in a nearby chair ignoring her protests that he had almost broken her arm and who the hell did he think he was and that she had almost had it…

“Interfering asshole.” She grumbled under her breath only to stare at the two chocolate bars that had just fallen into her lap.

“You’re welcome.” Tobirama glared down at her. “Next time, call someone for help.” He scolded her and walked out the room, but not before he had heard her mutter…

“I didn’t need your help, I could have done that too, bought another just to move the other forward, that wasn’t the point. The point was I only wanted one and the blasted machine cheated me. I’m not eating this! I have ethics you know!” Her voice followed him down the hall to the conference room.

Tobirama smirked as he pushed the door open and took his chair, ignoring the curious gance from Izuna who sat across from him at the table.

“Where’s your water?” Izuna asked him.

Tobirama shrugged. “I wanted chocolate instead.”

“So where is it?” Izuna pressed him.

“Gave it to someone who wanted it more than I did.” Tobirama ignored the raised eyebrows of his former adversary.

Izuna’s eyes bore into the side of Tobirama Senju’s head. A flash of pink caught his eye. “Sakura, so good to see you, how is your first day at our company going?” Izuna smiled at his nephew’s girlfriend. “Sakura?”

Tobirama swallowed hard, his eyes filtering up to meet those of the woman he had just ‘met’ in the executive break room.

Sakura’s teeth clicked together as she snapped her mouth shut. She ignored Tobirama as she walked across the room to Izuna. “Great Izuna, everyone has been very, uh, kind to me. Thank you for allowing me to sit in on this meeting.”

Sakura sat down beside Izuna, setting her chocolate bars on the conference table beside her leather portfolio and pulled a pen from her purse.

“Two?” Izuna picked up one of her chocolate bars and turned it over in his hand. “You never get two at the same time. Are you sure you’re having a good first day? No one is giving you a hard time are they?”

Sakura smiled at the genuine concern in Izuna’s eyes. “No, I just um, felt like two today is all.”

Izuna’s eyes flickered from Tobirama’s pinkening ears to Sakura’s rose dusted cheeks. “Right.” He humoured her. “Well let me know if you need anything. Our nephew’s girlfriend’s happiness is important to us, right Madara?”

Madara looked up from his end of the table where he sat with Hashirama. “It is.” Coal eyes met heated red for an instant, then flicked back to Hashirama’s amused brown.

Yes, Tobirama remembered the first time he had met Sakura Haruno. 

“Tobirama?”

Tobirama looked down into questioning green eyes.

“Do you want me to order for you?” Sakura asked him.

“Order?” He looked around, they were at the cafe. He cleared his throat. “Yes please. I’ll get us a table. Use the company card I said I would buy. I’d like a…”

“I know what you like. I’ve been getting your coffee for the last two years Tobirama.” Sakura rolled her eyes and made her way to the cafe counter to place their order.

“Of course.” He turned into the crowd to look for a vacant table, spotting a candy stand across the main aisle. Looking back over his shoulder he could tell it would be a few before Sakura made her way to the front of the counter. Slipping across to the candy vendor he bought three chocolate bars and slipped them into his briefcase.

“I know what you like too, Sakura.”


	5. Chapter 5

“Detroit Metropolitan Airport.” Sakura muttered to herself as she looked over their itinerary for the first three days. 

It was 11am Wednesday in Osaka, Japan and 9pm Tuesday in America, well in Detroit, Michigan. They had three different time zones. It was so strange to her to live in a country that was so vast it had to have three different time zones to accommodate the curvature of the Earth.

“I always wanted to go back in time.” She muttered to herself.

“I never realized how much you talk to yourself before now.” 

Sakura looked up from her itinerary to find Tobirama watching her with amusement, a slight lifting at the corners of his mouth and blushed.

“Only when I’m nervous.” She tucked the itinerary back into her carry on. “Or angry, or frustrated.” She added.

Tobirama nodded, as though she had just confirmed something about her to himself and turned back to his book in his hand.

Sakura took a calming breath and looked out the tiny window of the airplane. The window was so small. Her vision was limited. She didn’t have time to wonder what his expression meant, or how odd it was of him to have such an expression. They had known one another for two years. Sakura frowned as she looked out the window. Shouldn’t she know more about him other than how he liked his coffee?

Her heart began to thrum in her chest. She licked her bottom lip quickly and closed her eyes. Oh kami...they weren’t even moving yet. The plane wasn’t moving yet and…

There were other things she knew about him. He preferred to listen rather than speak in large groups. He preferred to read than watch television, a preference they shared. He was intelligent and observant. Sakura tilted her head to the side so she could watch him out of the corner of her eye. He was handsome in a serious, no nonsense sort of way.

Loud thumping and the screeching of metal on metal as a door closed somewhere below ripped her from her thoughts.

‘I’m on a plane, oh kami, I’m going to be flying over an ocean, an ocean with sea monsters and sharks and…’, her vivid imagination betrayed her.

Tobirama heard a slight wheezing noise coming from Sakura and set his book down in his lap, his thumb tucked into the seam, to hold his place. “Sakura, are you alright?” He kept his voice as calm and as smooth as possible in an attempt to calm her clearly frazzled nerves.

Sakura opened her eyes and smiled too brightly at Tobirama. “Yes, just a tad nervous. First time flying you know.”

Tobirama nodded. He knew. He had planned out several topics of interest while they had waited to board their plane earlier to distract her when the plane began to move, but he hadn’t thought he would need to distract her while they were still docked.

“There’s nothing to be nervous about.” He watched her chew her bottom lip. “The likelihood of us crashing and burning is…” He snapped his mouth shut when a strangled moan escaped her lips.

“I’m fine.” Sakura pulled her purse onto her lap from under her seat and started to rootle through the contents.

“What are you doing?” Tobirama asked her curiously. Clearly, she was looking for something but he wondered what she could have possibly brought with her that would help with her anxiety.

“My friend Ino gave me something before I left the house this morning to help me.” Sakura pulled out a bottle of tiny yellow pills.

Tobirama frowned at the bottle. “Sakura, I don't think that…”

“She said to take two of these and I wouldn’t even notice if we flew upside down.” Sakura laughed and unscrewed the top of the bottle.

“No.” Tobirama snatched the small bottle of pills out of Sakura’s hand before she could pull the cap off. “You’re not taking pills. I will talk you through it. There is nothing to be afraid of.”

“Hey!” Sakura tried to grab the bottle back from him but failed.

“I’m disappointed in you Sakura.” Tobirama’s voice was stern. “I never would have thought you to be the kind of person who would resort to such cowardly…”

“Excuse me?” Sakura forgot that he was her boss, forgot they were on an airplane, forgot they were surrounded by dozens of other people. “Who the hell do you think you are to place such judgement on me?” She demanded.

“A friend.” Tobirama held her challenging gaze with a hard gaze of his own. “I’m not going to let you take these.”

Sakura and Tobirama stared at one another for a long hard minute.

“It’s not like I wanted to take them.” She broke their stand off with a sigh. “I’m just, really scared.” Her fingers twined the fabric of her blouse.

“I understand but I’m here with you, there’s nothing to be frightened of Sakura. Why do you think I chose you to come with me?” He smoothed his voice into a more gentle hum than it usually was, to placate her.

“My stellar punctuality?” She smiled a little smile at him.

“You can do this.” He ignored her jest. “I chose you because out of all the applicants I knew you would benefit the most from this experience.”

Sakura blinked. “Really?” She hadn’t expected such a solid vote of confidence from someone like him. His praise was nearly impossible to earn and...

“Of course.” Tobirama looked past her head out the window. They would be moving soon. “You have your bachelor’s in Business, you just need the experience.”

“I’m already the head of my division though. There’s nowhere for me to go in my field.” She didn’t understand what he thought she would need this new experience for.

“I was thinking, if this year goes well…” He paused. He hadn’t planned on telling her his plans for her until this year was over and they were back in Japan. “...where do you see yourself in five years, Sakura?” He asked her.

“Well, if you would have asked me that six weeks ago, I would have said married to Sasuke Uchiha, but now...I don’t know. In the same position I am now. In my house, maybe with a dog or some other kind of domestic pet?” She shrugged. “I’m happy where I am in life at the moment.”

“Happy.” Tobirama watched her eyes watch him curiously. “Is that all you want from life? A house and a pet?” She was lying. Not to him, to herself.

“Good morning everyone, this is your Captain speaking. We are currently number five in line for take off. Currently it is clear skies from the Pacific to the Atlantic so just sit back and we’ll be in the air shortly.”

Sakura’s hands flew to the arm rests beside her, dislodging Tobirama’s elbow from his own arm rest, her chest rising and falling precariously as she breathed in and out.

It was almost comical, Tobirama thought, as he watched her eyes squinch up tightly, all the color drain from her face and noted how her blouse drew tight against her chest with every deep breath she sucked in through her teeth.

“Sakura.” Tobirama laid a hand gently over her white knuckles. Normally he wouldn’t touch her but she seemed near to panicking. “Sakura, it’s going to be…”

“Give me those damned pills.” Sakura grit out, one of her eyes cracking open to look at him as the plane began to move down the runway at a painfully slow speed.

“I’m not going to give you the pills, Sakura. Open your eyes, sit up and look at me.” Tobirama narrowed his eyes at her. “Control yourself.” He commanded.

“Asshole.” They heard someone behind them mumble.

Tobirama took a deep breath of his own and tried again, his voice gentler this time like Hashirama had advised him. “Try looking out the window Sakura? We aren’t even in the air yet, see?”

“I know that, it’s knowing we will be in the air soon that is freaking me out.” Sakura’s eyes closed, the creases in the corners deepening as she began to breathe even harder than before.

Ding Ding

“What was that!” Sakura’s voice was shrill as the ‘buckle seat belt’ light flashed by the light above their seats and the flight attendants began directing the passenger’s attention to the exits in case of an emergency.

“It was just the seatbelt warning, reminding us to stay seated for take off, nothing to get upset about.” Tobirama patted her hand stiffly. If she had been anyone else he would have let her take the damn pills and be done with it.

Over the last two years he had gotten to know her well enough to know she wasn’t like most people that wandered through life. Most people walked either in a straight line, focused only on themselves, or meandered aimlessly, focused on themselves. Everyone was so self absorbed it had been refreshing to meet someone who seemed to care more for others than herself.

It had annoyed him at first actually, how kind and caring she was. It had to be fake or forced he had tried to convince himself. However, as the first year passed and then the second he came to realize it wasn’t just for show, Sakura really was just a nice person and instead of annoying him, it began to perplex him.

Why was she with Sasuke Uchiha, what could someone like her possibly see in a self absorbed, pompous little shit like Sasuke? Why did it bother him so much that she was wasting her time, wasting her life on a man who clearly cared more about his career, his family and his own wants and needs above hers?

Sakura cracked her eyes open to look at the flight attendant in the front of the plane.

“Oh kami, we’re going to die…” Sakura groaned as the flight attendants lifted a flotation device into the air to show them it was their seat cushion.

“Sasuke was right.” She groaned. “I’m not cut out for this.”

“What?” That caught Tobirama’s attention. “Not cut out for what?”

“Business, flying, business trips, you know, what you and Hashirama sama do, Izuna and Madara sama. I don’t belong here Tobirama, why did you even want me to come with you?” She was almost in tears as the plane’s engines grew louder and they began to increase in speed down the runway.

“That’s enough. I don’t want you to speak of yourself like that Sakura.” He squeezed her hand once more and cleared his throat. 

“I wanted you to come with me.” He said quietly.

“What?” Sakura opened both of her eyes wide and stared at him.

Tobirama held her gaze as the nose of the plane lifted and their backs were pressed into the backs of their seats. The truth had always served as an effective distraction in board meetings, why not on a plane, so he continued.

“I wanted you to come with me Sakura to, to get to know you better away from the protective veil of the Uchiha.” He told her. The honest brutal truth. He wanted to blink, maybe look away, but he knew he couldn’t.

“You…” Sakura stuttered, watching him for any sign that this was a joke, that he was teasing her. He didn’t look away. He wasn’t joking.

The whole plane jerked as it lifted off the ground and Sakura’s head snapped to the window, her eyes grew impossibly wide and she gasped.

“crap, crap, crap” She groaned, the scream rising in her throat from her feet.

“Sakura.” Tobirama grabbed her chin and forced his mouth over hers without hesitation.

Sakura gasped, her eyes as large as full moons in winter. “Mmph!”

Tobirama pushed his mouth over Sakura’s, his one hand grasping her hand on the arm rest tightly twining their fingers together, his other holding her chin gently but firmly in place as he distracted her with his tongue pressing effortlessly past her lips.

His heart pounded in his chest. Was he doing this right? Would she slap him when he finally pulled away, maybe he didn’t have to pull away, maybe he could remain like this for the duration of their flight…

Sakura gasped into Tobirama’s mouth. Tobirama Senju was kissing her. Her boss was kissing her. The man Izuna sama had always referred to as the oblivious ice dragon, was kissing her. 

He said he wanted to get to know her better. He, liked her? Romantically?

The first thought in her head was, this is a joke, but the soft warmth of his tongue against hers wasn’t a joke. The second thought in her head was, this is incredibly unprofessional. Mr. Straight and arrow was coming onto her. Wasn’t he?

“Tobirama…?” Sakura pulled back from their kiss and blinked at him.

“Look.” Tobirama nodded to the window behind her.

Sakura turned her head slowly, away from him and looked out the little airplane window and gasped, her hands coming up to cover her mouth. “It’s so beautiful. The clouds, I never knew they looked like this, it’s like you could walk on them. Incredible.” She murmured.

“Yes. Incredible.” Tobirama whispered softly.

They sat in silence for quite some time after their last exchange. 

Sakura wondered if he had kissed her to distract her from her near panic attack. She kept her eyes on the clouds outside of the window. Should she ask him? Should she look at him?

Tobirama wondered if he had just ruined everything between them for the next year. She wouldn’t look at him, what should he do?

Ding Ding. 

“This is your Captain speaking. I’ve turned off the seat belt light as you can see. You’re free to move about your cabin. We’re currently flying at an altitude of 33,000 feet. Sit back and relax, I hope you enjoy the flight.”

He needed to distance himself from her, he needed to clear his head before he did something else impulsive. What the hell had he been thinking kissing her like that. He hadn’t.

“Please excuse me Sakura. I need to use the facilities.” Tobirama unbuckled his belt and rose without looking back at her, stepped out into the aisle and made his way to the back of their first class business section.

Turning her head, only after she was sure he had left their seating area, Sakura watched him go until the separator curtain fell closed behind him. He hadn’t looked back at her, what did this mean?

“So, it was just to distract me then.” She ought to have known better. What would a man like Tobirama Senju ever see in her? Yes, he said he had wanted to get to know her better, but that didn’t mean romantically. He just wanted to be friends, like he had said before. Her cheeks flushed. It didn’t mean anything.

“Better than nothing.” Sakura crossed her arms over her chest and crouched down into her seat, her eyes cast out the small window watching the ocean of clouds. 

“Damn it.” She closed her eyes to the clouds. She didn’t have anything to be sad about. Tobirama would make a great friend. He was her boss. He was her friend. What else was she expecting, she berated herself and her foolish, hopeful thinking. “I’m such an idiot.”

Tobirama leaned against the back of the small airplane restroom and covered his face with his left palm. 

“I’m such an idiot.” He groaned. 

She hated him now. He was an idiot. He had kissed her without her permission and ruined everything. He had told her like a bleeding heart patsy that he had wanted to get to know her better, that he had invited her on this trip for unprofessional reasons and now…

“Damn it.” He knocked the back of his head against the flimsy plastic door. It wasn’t nearly as satisfying of a gesture as he had hoped it would be.

He had ridiculed her for being a coward for wanting to take those pills, then he kissed her without warning revealing his own weakness, he was a hypocrite. He was disappointed in himself. He couldn’t hide in the bathroom forever.

With one last groan, he pushed off of the bathroom door, relieved himself, washed his hands and opened the door.

Sakura was hunched down low in her seat when he returned to their aisle, her eyes closed and her breathing steady. Tobirama fingered the small pill bottle in his pocket to make sure he was still in possession of the sleeping pills. He was, the small bulge of the bottle was there under his thumb.

Tobirama resumed his seat beside the sleeping woman. He picked up his book and opened it to the page he had left off on before their take off.

Looking over at Sakura he wondered if he should wake her. Should he apologize to her for kissing her or, no, he should let her sleep. Leaning over, his mouth close to her ear, he breathed out. “I’m sorry Sakura. Forgive me.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter, using it as a break in scenes.

Sakura turned in her sleep sighing a soft snuffling noise drawing Tobirama’s attention to her, making him drop his book down into his lap for the third time since their plane had taken off.

She was so small curled up into her seat as she was. Warranted they were in first class business class where the seats were much larger and more comfortable than economy class, but he had never realized how very small and delicate she was before now. He had never had the privileged opportunity to observe her in slumber before now either he reminded himself.

Forgetting his book in his lap for the moment he traced the curve of her lips with his eyes. They had been just as soft as he had hoped, as he had imagined they would be, for the last year. His face flushed. What was wrong with him, he shouldn’t fantasize like this, he wasn’t Hashirama. He felt ridiculous. He felt dirty like he was fondling her in her sleep. He swallowed.

She was asleep wasn’t she? He narrowed his eyes on her gentle pulse at the base of her neck. It seemed like it but…

His mind began to wander again as he watched her quietly. One of her hands was curled up under her chin, the other against her chest. If he wanted, he could, with one tiny tug, pull the armrest up and slide her closer to himself, hold her against his side, wrap his arm around her shoulders and...

...she hadn’t pushed him away and she could have. She hadn’t slapped his face or yelled at him for kissing her, and she should have, would have if she didn’t like it right?

She hadn’t kissed him back either though, he fidgeted in his seat, his fingers twitching against his thigh. Was he overthinking this? Probably. He tended to do that sort of thing.

He could hear the stewardess preparing the drink cart in front of them. Should he wake her? Surely she would want a refreshment when she woke, perhaps a glass of wine or champagne?

“Sakura?” Tobirama tapped her lightly on the arm where it rested next to his, her head on her wrist. “Sakura the drink cart will be coming around soon, would you like something to drink?” He asked her softly.

“Hum?” Sakura stretched her legs out slowly, the calf of her right leg brushing up against his left knee, curled back up into an adorable ball and settled back into sleep.

“I’ll just get you something and keep it for you.” He murmured, careful not to look at the bottom of her thigh where her mid length skirt had bunched up against her hose.

Not a regular hose, her thigh high panty hose he realized, his eyes darting down to the strip of soft naked skin now visible to his uncontrolled wandering eyes. Damn it, he groaned, this was going to be the longest flight in the history of professional flights. Tobirama shifted uncomfortably in his seat, maybe he should follow her example and try to take a nap as well.

Ideally it would be best if they stayed up as long as possible. On the other hand sleeping now might alleviate fatigue later in the evening. Preoccupied with that thought, Tobirama didn’t notice Sakura crack her left eye open and peer up at him from under the cover of her forearm.

Hashirama poured himself a glass of sparkling water, carefully avoiding the blatant looks of both Uchiha brothers as they settled into their customary afternoon meeting.

“Sakura and your brother are three hours into their flight.” Madara spoke first. “I wonder how well they’re getting along.” His dark eyes passed over to his brother who nodded in response.

“I bet he’s pissed her off at least once by now. You know how agitated Sakura can get when she’s nervous or frustrated. Remember the retreat last year when she pushed him head first into the ice bin after...” Izuna snapped his mouth shut as Madara cleared his throat.

Izuna shrugged and flicked his finger over the surface of his phone absently searching his text to see if Sakura had sent him anything before getting on the plane. “Tobirama isn’t exactly Mr. Sensitive you know.” Izuna added pulling up the expected text from Sakura.

“Or maybe he is?” Izuna blinked at the picture of Sakura holding up a cup of her favorite coffee and a bagel at the airport. Tobirama’s arm could be seen in the bottom right of the frame. 

“He’s sitting really close to her. I swore it would take longer than a few hours at the airport. That’s well within the first week though!” He smirked and tossed his phone to his brother who picked it up and looked at the picture with interested eyes.

“The seats look small Izuna, he isn’t that close to her. He bought the coffee?” Madara looked at Hashirama. “He listened to me?”

Hashirama read the caption under the picture. “Tobirama bought me coffee, isn’t that nice of him?” Brown eyes met knowing black. “No suffix?”

“I noticed.” Madara sighed. He lost.

“It appears Izuna wins our little bet.” Madara withdrew his wallet from the inside pocket of his suit coat and tossed his younger brother a wad of bills. “There is however a second part to this bet.” Madara reminded Izuna.

“I’ll win that one too. Wait and see. Sakura’s great, don’t get me wrong but no one, and I mean no one can completely thaw out that man’s heart. I don’t call him ice dragon for my health you know.” Izuna smirked as he tucked his brother’s money into his own suit coat pocket.

“Drawing out a bit of sympathy, getting him to buy her a placating cup of coffee is one thing, but making him fall head over heels in love with her?” Izuna scoffed as he grinned at Hashirama. “You’re in over your head with that dream Hashirama. There is no way your brother will propose to Sakura before their year in America is up.”

“I have to agree with Izuna on that Hashirama. I may have lost the small bet of him buying her a cup of coffee and extending his professional line a tad but there is without a doubt no way your brother will ask Sakura to marry him before they return from the United States, sorry old friend, but I think Izuna’s got you there.” Madara smiled an amused and sympathetic smile at Hashirama who was scratching the side of his nose as he looked at the seemingly innocent picture of Sakura holding up her cup of coffee and bagel for the picture.

Hashirama opened his mouth to reply then paused. Sakura had her coffee in one hand and her bagel in the other. Who had taken the picture? Placing his two fingers on the screen of Izuna’s phone he slowly spread them apart to enlarge the picture.

Tobirama’s arm was close to Sakura’s yes but not because he was sitting close to her, or rather he was, but not how Madara and Izuna had thought. No, one of his arms was at his side, but the arm that was in the picture, his other arm, was around her shoulder, taking the picture. An excited grin spread over his face.

His brother detested human contact of any kind. This meant something, he was sure of it. All of his assumptions for the last two years had been correct and they were going to pay off, for both himself and his brother this year.

“Care to make a wager Madara? How sure of yourselves are you?” He continued to hold Izuna’s phone in his hand, his eyes locked onto the picture of Sakura, his brother’s sleeve just out of the picture. He was sure. Tobi liked Sakura much more than anyone suspected.

“I bet both of you, Tobirama will ask Sakura to marry him by the end of their year abroad and that she’ll say yes.” Hashirama handed Izuna back his phone with renewed confidence.

Madara blinked. Was Hashirama serious? Sakura, say yes to that...that stiff?

Izuna laughed out loud and slapped his palm down hard on the table. “You’re on! What do you bet?” Izuna’s eyes glittered.

Madara waited to hear what Hashirama had to offer. He had always thought his friend a bit foolish but this was absolutely preposterous. Tobirama Senju and Sakura Haruno, married...ludicrous!

“I bet you my half of the company, not Tobi’s, but mine giving you the majority, if you win the bet.” Hashirama held his breath and waited for the brother Uchiha’s response.

Madara held his hand up for silence when Izuna began to whoop in anticipation of what he assumed was victory. “Are you serious Hashirama? Will you sign a contract stating that?”

“I will.” Hashirama inclined his head to his old friend.

“Izuna. Draw the contract up, get it stamped and notarized. Have the companies attorney draw it up, I want this done right do you understand, that means no loopholes, no mistakes, no wiggle room.” Madara spared a glance at his brother. “We’ll wait here.” His dark eyes flickered back to Hashirama. Madara could barely breathe. This was too good to be true.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me, have three ideas where to take it from here. I'm not going to give them away but opinions help.


	7. Chapter 7

Sakura breathed in through her nose slowly and out through her mouth carefully. He thought she was asleep and she wanted it to remain that way for as long as possible. She needed more time to think.

After he left she had slumped down in her seat parsecting every word, every look and every touch since they had met at the airport that morning. Her eyes had been closed when he returned and she realized shortly, that he thought she had fallen asleep.

She had almost ruined her cover by snorting at the absurdity of the situation. No one fell asleep that fast, not at 1pm in the afternoon. Had their kiss rattled him as much as it had rattled her? Maybe. She needed more time to think about how she felt about their kiss, so she remained still with her eyes closed and her breath even.

For a good twenty minutes after his return he had read. She could hear the tell tale turning of the pages of his book, but as of two minutes ago, he had stopped reading. What was he doing? Past their seats a gentle clinking sounded and she wondered what it was. It didn't sound very alarming, she tried to ignore it. It wasn’t turbulence, she was almost positive. Ino had explained to her the night before that turbulence shook the whole plane.

It was one of the things she had been dreading the most on this flight.

“Sakura.” Tobirama’s deep voice almost had her opening her eyes to look up at him.

“Sakura, the drink cart is coming around soon, would you like something to drink?” He tapped her arm lightly.

She supposed the realistic thing to do was to make some sort of noise and shift in her ‘sleep’, so she stretched out her legs slowly, nearly squeaking as her calf brushed up against what she assumed was his knee and curled back into a protective ball, trying to drown out his presence and close proximity.

“I’ll just get you something and keep it for you.”

Sakura squeezed her eyes shut. His voice was so gentle, he was being so kind to her...she was reading too far into this, just like she had done last year. Ugh, she groaned to herself internally. Last year at their company retreat she had been so stupid and so…

It had been her first time at the Senju’s Hoshino Resort in the Nasu District of Japan in Tochigi, a nine hour trip north from Osaka, where Senju & Uchiha was located. It was beautiful, it was expensive and it was secluded. She had never seen anything like it before as she looked out the tinted windows of the Uchiha limo, her arm wrapped in Sasuke’s.

“This is the resort?”, she asked Sasuke as the limo drove under the red temple markers, her eyes glittering with anticipation.

“Hn.” He didn’t even bother to look out the window, or at her for that matter, before answering.

“They kept the whole week free just for us?” She was amazed. “This is so cool!” Sakura pulled her arm from Sasuke’s and placed both of her hands against the door frame to better press her face against the glass.

“You’ll get smudges on the window Sakura.” Madara spoke from behind his newspaper absently.

“Let her look. She’s having a good time.” Izuna smiled at Sakura’s enthusiasm.

“Fine.” Sasuke muttered, clearly he had been here before and wasn’t impressed. “No Wi-Fi.” He grumbled.

“Look around you Sasuke, why would you want Wi-Fi when you have this?” Sakura tore her gaze from the lush forest, the sparkling water barely visible through the trees and the colorful birds in the sky as they drove over a wide bridge to look at her boyfriend. “Unplug and spend time with me while we’re here, this place looks amazing, it’s like out of a fairytale or something.”

“Whatever.” Sasuke pulled his phone from his pocket and glared at the ‘zero’ connectivity bar. “I should have stayed home.”

“Sasuke, don’t be a tool this week. Show Sakura around the resort. It's her first time out of Osaka for kami’s sake. She’s your fiancé, be nice.” Izuna rolled his eyes at his nephew from across the seat. “I knew we should have taken a separate limo.” Izuna shot Madara a censored glance.

“We’ll be there soon enough Izuna. Speaking of separate, do try to get along with Tobirama this week would you? We’re a year into our merger and the two of you can barely manage to sit in the same boardroom together. You’d think after a year the two of you could have at least learned to ignore one another, if not get along.” Madara snapped the pages of his newspaper sharply, looking over the rim of the finance column at Izuna.

“It would be easier if he wasn’t such a nit picking stickler. Right Sakura? How many times did he make you redo the last portfolio, the Fujaki project, am I right?” Izuna looked to his usual ally with hopeful eyes.

“Sorry Izuna, I’ll have to stay out of this one.” Sakura smiled sweetly at her usual partner in crime at the office. “I actually learned a lot from him on the Fujaki portfolio.” She shrugged.

“It was good he had me redo it as many times as he did. Now I know how to do a third tier portfolio from start to finish all by myself.” Her face flushed a beautiful pink. “He was actually quite nice about it, if a little gruff.” She added as an afterthought.

Izuna blinked, Madara’s paper lowered just a tad to look at Sakura more closely, Sasuke pocketed his phone, the bored expression on his young handsome face growing by leaps and bounds. He hated it when they talked shop, even at work.

“Are we there yet?” Sasuke broke the silence that had followed Sakura’s admission.

“Yes.” Madara folded his paper in his lap and tucked it into the side pocket of his tote bag. “Here is the key to your room.” He handed Sasuke a small brass key.

“Here’s yours.” Izuna smiled as he handed Sakura hers.

Sasuke glanced down at the key in his hand, then at the key Izuna had just handed Sakura. “Separate rooms?” He inquired.

“You’re not married yet and this is a business trip.” Madara opened the door to the limo without waiting for the chauffeur. He didn’t have time for another one of his nephew’s petty arguments.

“We will be, soon.” Sasuke gave Sakura a narrowed eye. “We live together now too, as of last week.” His voice was pointed.

“Not now Sasuke.” Sakura slung her purse strap over her shoulder and stepped out of the car to join Madara on the stone paved walkway.

“Easy killer. You’ll be married soon enough, no need to push her. Even after you’re married, give her time okay kid?” Izuna gave Sasuke an annoyed look. “Relax a little, you’re in one of the most romantic settings you could hope for. Be in love or whatever you kids do.”

“Don’t push her into doing anything she doesn’t want to do. Sakura is a good girl, why she chose you Madara and I will never know, so don’t be a prick.” Izuna added in a more serious tone, getting out to walk to the door, paused, shook his suit back into order then bent over to look back into the limo where Sasuke remained seated staring at the brass key in his palm.

“If I hear you hurt her, or forced her to sleep with you Sasuke, you’ll regret it. You know I might have taken apart the majority of my shadow holdings, but I still have a few small operations in Kabukicho.” Izuna smiled pleasantly before ducking back out of the limo door.

Sasuke knew that already. He was the one who had gone to the infamous redlight district only two months ago to check their books.

“I won’t force her idiot, but I’m not going to wait forever either.” Sasuke grumbled, pulling his forelock over his eyes in annoyance. 

“If she won’t put out, I’ll find someone who will. Maybe the next time I go to Kabukicho.” Sasuke muttered to himself as he pulled his bag from the trunk, turned and ran smack into Tobirama Senju who looked down at the young Uchiha with disdain.

He heard me. Sasuke scoffed. Who cares. 

Sasuke shouldered his way past Tobirama, grabbed Sakura by the hand where she was waiting for him and pulled her through the glass entryway into the resort’s main building.

Tobirama stood in the middle of the stone path, his right fist clenched behind his back as he watched Sasuke pull Sakura down the glass encased hallway to the guest houses.

“It’s none of our business Tobi.” Hashirama spoke softly from Tobirama’s left. “Their young, let them make their mistakes.” Hashirama advised.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Tobirama stiffened his spine and marched off in the opposite direction.

“Right.” Hashirama sighed. “Like I haven’t noticed how your eyes follow her when you think no one is looking. Count your stars that Madara or his brother Izuna haven’t picked up on your feelings Tobi.” Hashirama shivered at the thought. “It’s a good thing they don’t know you like I do.”

Hashirama watched Tobirama as he walked away, turning left at the end of the path instead of right, toward his own guest house. “Damn it Tobi.” Hashirama muttered to himself, rubbing the back of his head nervously.

Sasuke unlocked the door to his guest house and pulled Sakura in after him. It looked just like he remembered it. “Same as last year and the year before.” He didn’t want to be here.

“Wow!” Sakura ran to the sliding glass door on the other side of the room and peered out into the surrounding forest. “This is your room? It stands alone and is backed up against a forest?” 

“Yeah.” Sasuke smiled a little smile, her excitement lightening his mood just a tad. “The Senju own the whole mountain. Their family has owned this region since the feudal era.” He explained.

“I never knew that.” Sakura unlocked the door and slid the door open. “Hey come on Sasuke, let’s go explore.”

“You’ll stay with me tonight, you can sleep in your own room tomorrow night.” He crossed his arms over his chest ignoring her invitation to join her outside.

Sakura turned around to look at him. He hadn’t moved. He was still standing by the door in his room. A gust of mountain air lifted her hair off of her back and pushed it over her shoulders. “Sasuke…”

“We’re engaged, Sakura. We’re going to be married, you know.” He pressed on, like he had many many times before. “You’re going to have to have sex with me eventually, don’t you...want to sleep with me?”

Sakura bit her lip. “Of course I do Sasuke, it’s just well, not yet?” She wrung her hands in front of her. “Give it time okay?”

“Two years isn’t enough time?” He moved to the edge of the room but didn’t step out to join her. “We’re engaged now. I thought if I asked you to marry me you’d…” His voice trailed off as her eyes narrowed to slits.

“Is that why you asked me?” Her voice was low, she had suspected that, which is why she hadn’t slept with him yet.

“Not the only reason.” He shoved his hands in his pockets and rocked back onto his heels. “It’s just, you know. After two years I thought you would know how I feel about you and want to, you know.”

Sakura relented. Unlike most people, she knew Sasuke was much more sensitive than he showed. “Hey, I love you, you know that right?”

“Yeah but…” He shuffled his feet a bit, his chin low, his eyes flicked up to hers. “...if you loved me you’d sleep with me.” He grinned at her.

“You’re an ass, you know that?” Sakura took the two steps forward to hug him and kiss him on his cheek playfully. “It’s just, not the right time yet, you know?” She looked up at him, imploring him with her eyes for more understanding, more leniency and more time.

“When we sleep together, I want to be sure.” She tried to catch his eye again but he was looking past her, out the window. “After we’re married, I promise.”

“Sure.” He pushed her away, pulling her arms from around his neck and walking back into his room, closing the sliding glass door behind him.

Sakura stood alone biting her bottom lip between her front teeth fighting back the moisture forming in the corners of her eyes. “If you loved me, you’d give me all the time I needed and not throw it in my face every chance you got making me feel like crap.”

Sakura tilted her head back, her face basking in the sun, she sighed and stretched. Bending down she effortlessly touched her toes and twisted from side to side. It had been a long car ride. “Maybe a quick shower and a bite to eat before I explore the mountain.”, she hummed to herself.

Tobirama watched from the treeline as Sakura adjusted the strap of her purse, turned toward the side path that led to the front of Sasuke’s guest house, pulling a map of the resort from her pocket to locate her own guest house.

Per usual, he had made all the arrangements for their accommodations this year, like he did every year with only a few minor adjustments. Sakura had joined them this year at Izuna’s request. Knowing that the younger Uchiha would be among their numbers along with a few minor, yet higher ranked company executives, Tobirama had placed Sakura next to his own private guest house, for her safety.

Attendees tended to let loose on retreats like these and Sakura was the only female employee to join them this year. While the executives who mattered all knew who Sakura was, there were a few new ones this year who hadn’t had the opportunity to be introduced to her yet, and thus weren’t aware of her associations. Tobirama would be keeping a close eye on her for the week. Again, for her protection.

Izuna had requested Sakura be given her own guest accommodations and Tobirama was more than willing to comply. Like Sakura said, she and Sasuke weren’t married yet, it wasn’t appropriate for them to share a room together, even if they were living with one another now.

Tobirama frowned. He hadn’t heard they had moved in together. He cracked his knuckles on his left hand. It was to be expected but still, he would have thought Sakura above moving in with a man until she was married to him. Maybe he didn’t know her as well as he thought he did. He hoped she liked her room. He had given her the master suite that would normally remain empty for their retreat.

Sakura pushed the door open to her room and gasped. It was larger and more luxurious than Sasuke’s. She ran into her room, noting how her luggage was already on a stand at the foot of her bed, and twirled in a circle throwing her purse onto a nearby chair. “Wow!”

Madara looked up from his printed map with all of the guests room numbers and locations, his hand rubbing his smooth, freshly shaven chin. Tobirama gave Sakura the master suite? Interesting. He pulled the towel from his hips and walked naked across the room to dress for dinner wondering if Hashirama knew. Something to discuss during dinner no doubt.

Izuna drummed his fingers against the dinner table as he watched people filter in and out of the dining room at their leisure. His brother or Hashirama would give a small speech, hand out the weekly itinerary before dinner, then they would eat. He wondered where Sakura had gotten to when he caught a flash of pink in his peripheral.

“Hey now.” Izuna grinned as Sakura made her way to where he was seated in the front of the room at one of two head tables parallel to the podium. 

“Don’t we clean up well.” Izuna pulled the chair out for Sakura, smiling as she lowered herself gracefully into the seat, sweeping the long airy skirt of her dress aside as she did so.

“Soap is a wonderful thing.” Sakura winked at Izuna, making him laugh out loud. “Where’s Sasuke?” 

“I thought he was with you.” Izuna shrugged as Madara took a seat at the other head table next to Hashirama.

“Nope, I haven’t seen him since I left him in his room earlier. I went for a short walk after I unpacked, stopped by his room to see if he wanted to join me, but he wasn’t there.” She told him.

“He tends to do that here. Not a big joiner, your boyfriend.” Izuna poured Sakura a glass of water. “He’ll show his face when he’s hungry.”

“Hum.” Sakura picked up her glass of water, sipping lightly as she looked around the room.

Sasuke was absent throughout dinner and desert.

“I guess I’ll head back to my room for the night Izuna. See you in the morning.” Sakura rose from her seat walking slowly toward the exit.

Izuna cursed Sasuke under his breath, rose to follow her to make sure she got to her room unmolested. He doubted any of the men here would approach her, they knew who she was and who she was engaged to, but alcohol ran like water at these sort of things and wasn’t always the best wing man when it came to a beautiful young woman walking alone on a darkened path at night.

However, before Izuna could even set his napkin down, Tobirama stepped up beside Sakura inclining his head respectfully and ushered her out of the room. Izuna blinked, then looked across the room to his brother who was likewise, looking at the now vacant doorway that had moments ago contained both Tobirama Senju and Sakura.

Madara and Izuna’s eyes met briefly. They both nodded in agreement. If one of them wasn’t able to escort Sakura to her room, Tobirama was a suitable replacement. The man would never make a move on Sakura and they both knew it.

Sakura walked down the paved walkway to her guest house paying little attention to the man beside her. Her concentration was better served on the pathway and where she placed her feet on the slippery stone surface. It had rained recently. The musky smell of leaf mold, rich soil and forest dew rose up around them as they made their way silently through the night.

“Watch your step.” Tobirama’s deep voice distracted her, having the opposite effect he had hoped for. “Hey!” His hand shot out to grab her upper arm as she tilted sideways, inches from tumbling down the dirt drop off on the right side of the trail.

“Have you been drinking?”

Sakura frowned at his accusatory tone. What was he so upset at? She was of age, she could drink if she wanted to, she was an adult…

“I have. Are you implying I’m intoxicated?” 

Tobirama peered down at her shortsightedly. Imply? Clearly, she was intoxicated. “You’re drunk.” He stated flatly.

“I am not.” Sakura argued back huffing slightly.

“You are.” Tobirama steered her by the arm, where he still had a firm hold on her person, toward the path that led up to her guest house. “Don’t leave your room tonight. If you need something call the maid, not the clerk or the lobby boy, the maid.”

Sakura blinked at her boss. He had ordered her to...stay in her room? “Like hell.” She muttered under her breath, opened her door and closed it with a slightly louder snap than she had originally intended.

Tobirama rolled his eyes at her bravado, rolled up the sleeves of his long sleeved dress shirt, and pushed his hair out of his eyes. With luck, she would pass out on her bed and wouldn’t wake until morning. Just to be sure she remained safely in her room however, he pulled his phone from his pocket and hit the ‘Surveillance Rm 3-A’ button. A small red light flashed briefly at the foot of Sakura’s room door.

Satisfied he would be alerted if anyone entered or exited her room, he turned toward his own guest house for the evening.

Not ten minutes later, just as he had settled into his reading chair and opened his book, did his alarm go off. With a grunt, Tobirama lifted himself up off his chair, to flick his privacy curtain aside, to see a very wobbly Sakura emerge from the front door of her guest house, ice bin under her arm, looking left then right.

“Fucking hell.” He threw his book down on the end table and slid his feet into his shoes beside his door.

Careful not to fall and break her neck on the wet cobblestones, Sakura made her way to the side door of the clubhouse where her map indicated an ice machine would be. Opening the door with a hefty tug of the handle she slipped inside and headed down the hallway to the left.

After filling her ice bucket, she turned her attention to the vending machines on the other side of the room contemplating the wisdom of chocolate this late in the evening. Finding no reasonable reason to restrain herself, she dug into her pocket for some change when she heard voices in the hallway.

Looking up from counting her change she noticed two men in the doorway, two unfamiliar men.

“What do we have here?” One of the men slurred to the other, clearly drunk. “Pretty little thing aren’t you?” He moved toward Sakura with surprising speed pushing her up against the wall of the convenience room.

“Care for a little company sweetheart?” His friend moved up alongside them, running his fingers down the side of Sakura’s face.

“Get away from me!” Sakura pulled against the restraining hands as they pushed her into the corner of the room reaching for the ties of her pajama pants.

“Don’t touch her.” A familiar voice cut through their pawing.

The two men spun around, anger in their eyes that turned to fear as they recognized the owner of the voice to be the younger of the two Senju brothers, one of their bosses.

“Senju sama, this isn’t what it looks like. We were just helping the young woman with her ice and…” They began to stutter.

“Get out.” Tobirama filled the entire doorway impressively, growled, then stepped aside allowing them to scramble past him into the hall and beyond.

“Sakura san, are you alright, did they hurt you at all?” Tobirama remained where he stood by the door of the small room as though not to crowd her, waiting patiently for her reply.

“I’m fine.” Sakura picked her ice bucket up from the table where she had set it earlier and clutched it to her chest. “I...shouldn’t have left my room, like you advised. I’m sorry.”

“I’ll walk you back to your room. Come.” He turned without looking over his shoulder. He knew she would follow.

“What the hell?” Izuna leapt off the path as Murasama and Pyoru ran past him like the devil himself was after them. “What’s wrong with them.” He scowled reaching for the handle of the club house only to be pushed back as the door opened revealing Tobirama and Sakura.

“Sakura, what happened?” Izuna peered at her, ignoring Tobirama. “Did this bastard do or say anything to you?” Izuna noticed the pinched and slightly panicked look in her eyes, balled up his fists, preparing to fight.

“No Izuna, he helped me out of an uh, embarrassing situation actually.” Sakura laughed nervously waving her free hand through the air. “I was just getting some ice and uh, well, you know how some people drink too much.”

“Drink too much?” Izuna looked at the ever sober Senju. “Who was drinking too much?”

“Murasama and Pyoru.” Tobirama replied for Sakura, his eyes boring into Izuna’s.

“Oh?” Izuna asked, then realization flooded his face making his cheeks turn red, in fury. “Oh?!”

“If you’d like to take care of them, be my guest. I will see Miss Haruno to her quarters.” Tobirama inclined his head and ushered Sakura before him down the path.

“Where the fuck is Sasuke!” Izuna demanded of the unresponsive night, his nephew nowhere in sight. He needed to have a word with his brother about their nephew, after he had a word with Murasama and Pyoru.

Sakura turned and paused outside of the door to her room. What could she say to him, what should she say to him. “Thank you Tobirama sama, for uh, helping me back there.” Sakura looked up at the tall white haired man through the cover of her lashes.

“It’s fine.” Tobirama cleared his throat roughly, turned and started walking toward his own room, stopped and turned back to Sakura who was still watching him. “If you had listened to me and followed my orders you wouldn’t have put yourself in such a foolish and easily avoided situation.”

Sakura blinked. “You blame me?” Her voice cracked. “Are you serious?”

“I told you not to leave your room and you disobeyed me.” He replied flatly, crossing his arms over his chest. “In your pajamas no less.”

“Disobeyed…” Sakura threw the bucket of ice at Tobirama’s head with surprising accuracy, flung her door open and slammed it shut behind her.

Tobirama caught the bucket of ice before it could make contact with his face, a few pieces of ice pelting his cheek. He had said the wrong thing to her, again. What was he supposed to have said to her though? Everything he said was the truth. Was this one of those times he was supposed to use that eloquence Hashirama kept telling him was necessary when speaking to the opposite sex? Probably.

Looking down into the now empty bucket he turned on his heel to go back to the clubhouse.

Ten minutes later there was a knock on Sakura’s door. A gruff voice came through the wood. “It’s me. I got you more ice. Goodnight Sakura san.”

Sakura opened her door after she was sure he had gone and smiled in surprise. There on her step was her ice bucket, full to bursting with ice and two chocolate bars with a small note in neat precise scripted characters. ‘Sorry’.


	8. Chapter 8

Yeah, she had read too far into what had happened on their retreat last year. It had made the whole week terribly uncomfortable, for her.

Murasama and Pyoru hadn’t joined the rest of them at breakfast the following morning. Izuna explained that due to their abrupt and satisfying termination it was no longer appropriate for them to be there for the rest of the company retreat.

Izuna had kept a closer watch on her after that, while Tobirama seemed to distance himself from her even more after the first night of the retreat, putting an end to their blossoming work relationship and setting a new norm for their return to Osaka.

Looking back, Sakura could pin point the very instant Tobirama had retreated back into his shell. It had been the night before the last day of their retreat. She had been arguing with Sasuke again, about what had happened on their first night and about Tobirama.

“Every time I look around he’s there.” Sasuke accused her as though Tobirama’s habits were her fault. “Is he following you around, is there something you need to tell me about you and him Sakura?”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean Sasuke, are you accusing me of something? If that’s the case I have a few questions for you. Like how come you hang up the phone sometimes when I enter the room, or when I used to come over unexpectedly to your apartment you would immediately hop into the shower?” Sakura met him snarl for snarl.

“Are you accusing me of cheating on you?” Sasuke threw his hand out in front of his chest. “Un-fucking believable!” 

“I have every reason to cheat on you but I haven’t and you’re accusing me of sleeping with several girls?” He sneered at her.

“Several? I don’t believe I set a particular number to my accusation and insinuation. Since we’re speaking bluntly though, yes, I’m accusing you of something. I didn’t say cheating, you did, but I am accusing you of hiding things from me. I honestly don’t know if you’re cheating on me or not, before this conversation I never would have thought you capable of it actually.” Her voice wasn’t heated, she wasn’t angry, Sasuke realized, she was sad.

“Sakura.” He had realized his mistake.

He’s trying to back peddle, she grimaced to herself, her face blank. 

“Sakura I…” Sasuke shuffled his feet.

“You said several…” She dropped her head to her chest, took a deep breath and walked away from him, down the mountain path they were on toward the spring she had found the other day on her own because he had refused to go hiking with her. “I need to think Sasuke.”

Looking over her shoulder at him with sad eyes she murmured, “I don’t know if this is going to work out.”

Sasuke took one quick step toward her, then stopped himself, dug his feet in and shouted, “I only asked you to marry me out of pity Sakura, you know no one wants you right? You’re annoying!”

His defense mechanism. She knew, but it still hurt. She knew he was only saying it to hurt her because she had hurt him by telling him she wasn’t sure if they were going to work out. She knew, but it still hurt.

She stopped walking but she didn’t turn around to face him. He would hear her just fine from where he was. “I know you don’t mean that. I know you’ll come to me later with flowers and chocolate, tears in your eyes crying and begging me for my forgiveness later Sasuke.” Her chin trembled and two tears slipped down the side of her face. “The words have already been said, even if you take them back, you can’t unsay them.”

She ran into the woods leaving him to stand alone on the secluded path.

Tobirama had heard the shouting, he had heard them arguing and had slumped down at the base of the tree he had been reading at before they had stumbled down the path behind him. In a situation such as theirs, three was definitely a crowd.

As soon as Sakura ran down the path toward the natural spring, and Sasuke had turned to return to his guest room, Tobirama snapped his book shut and followed Sakura quietly.

He found her where he had expected her to be, sitting on the rock in the middle of the natural spring.

“I know you’re there.” Sakura didn’t lift her head to look at him. “I know you heard. I saw you leave your room earlier today and figured you came out here to read like you did yesterday.”

That surprised Tobirama. He hadn’t thought she had been paying much attention to his movements. She was more observant than he gave her credit for. “Were you following me Sakura san?”

His intrigue was met with silence. He waited, but she didn’t reply. Slowly he turned on his heel, clearly she wished to be alone.

“Yes.”

Tobirama spun back around to find bright green eyes observing him carefully.

“You were following me?” He needed clarification. He heard her, he wanted to hear it again.

“Yes, I was following you.” A faint dusting of rose spread across her cheeks. “I thought, since Sasuke wasn’t in his room when I checked you might want to go for a walk in the forest with me, you know, because you like to do that sort of thing, like I do.”

Second choice. Second to her fiancée. She was still engaged, he reminded himself.

“Why are you with him?” Tobirama blurted out, immediately regretting his voice. “I mean…”

Sakura cocked her head to the side considering him. “Say what you mean.”

He understood. He understood her. “He doesn’t appreciate you. Why stay with him?”

Sakura sighed and hugged her legs up against her chest. “It was convenient. We’ve known one another for a very long time. I know his family well and they know me, it was...normal.” She admitted.

“Was?” He asked her, fishing. “Is it not still?”

“If it wasn’t?” Sakura rose to her feet, jumped from the rock to the bank of the small spring and looked Tobirama in the eye. “What would that mean to you? You seem very interested in my relationship with Sasuke. Do you like him?” Her lips twitched.

Tobirama scoffed and sputtered before he realized she was teasing him. He laughed.

Sakura blinked. Tobirama cleared his throat. She had made him laugh.

“I like it when you laugh.” Sakura stepped up to Tobirama looking up at him. “You should laugh more, it makes you look younger, more alive.”

“I normally appear to be dead?” He scowled.

She laughed. “Not at all. Perhaps I should have said alive, with life.”

“How else would someone be classified as living?” He rolled his eyes making her giggle.

“Tobirama?” Sakura dropped the usual honorific.

She was too close. Tobirama swallowed, her eyes followed the motion then flicked back up to his own. This was inappropriate. She was still engaged and…

“Yes?” He asked her.

“What if I wasn’t with Sasuke?” She watched his mouth open then close. “Would that mean anything to you?” She was emboldened by her argument with Sasuke. He had told her before no one would want her. He had almost convinced her that no one but him would ever want to marry her, find her attractive and yet here was a man, a good man, a strong man, within her reach.

“Tobirama?” Her voice was soft. Too soft for him and he shivered.

“This is wrong. You’re engaged, Sakura.” Tobirama stepped back and away from the woman, the only woman he had ever truly been interested in and shut her out. “I have come to expect more from you.”

She was humiliated. She had come onto her boss and he had rejected her. She had read all of the signs wrong, Ino had misled her. She was a fool.

“Of course.” Sakura bowed her head and stared at her feet. “Forgive me Tobirama sama, let us pretend that this never happened. For both our sakes.”

Tobirama stood there for three, then four more heart beats, nodded, turned and walked away from her leaving her alone by the spring.

Their working relationship hadn’t been the same since that professional getaway, something Sakura had since then regretted. He had kept his word, they had never spoken of that instance since. No one knew that moment had ever happened, except them.

It seemed fate was dead set on keeping them from being more than friends. First the awkwardness of the retreat and now the awkward kiss on their way to the United States.

Just when she thought they were making some progress too. The last few months had been nice. Tobirama seemed to finally recognize all the hard work she had been doing for the last year and a half allowing her to sit in on more and more meetings, asking her opinions on portfolios and giving her a small corner office on the same floor as his.

Now...

Sakura touched her fingers to her lips under the cover of her arm. It hadn’t been that awkward, the kiss. It was what had come after the kiss that was awkward, not the kiss itself. The kiss had been really good.

“I know you’re awake Sakura. If you wish to pretend to sleep, try not to fidget as much.” Tobirama’s unexpected voice made her squeak and sit up abruptly. 

“Did you enjoy your nap?” Tobirama held out a glass of wine to her, the fragile stem pinched delicately between his strong fingers.

“Yes.” Sakura coughed politely into her hand, taking the offered glass of wine with the other ignoring the heat in her cheeks. “Thank you Tobirama.”

“It was my pleasure.” He replied, picking his book back up.

Sakura watched him out of the corner of her eye as she sipped her wine. He had changed quite a bit from when they had first met, since last year even, since the retreat. Last year he would have merely nodded at her thanks, or perhaps grunted but now, it was different between them. Now, he told her it was his pleasure to offer her a glass of wine. Sakura buried her nose in her glass. She was over thinking things again.

It had only taken two years, countless awkward moments and the last six months of her and Sasuke openly arguing at work to bring both of them out of their respective shells. Maybe, and it was a big maybe, it was good Sasuke had cheated on her. If he hadn’t, she most certainly wouldn’t be on a plane to America right now, and she knew for certain Tobirama Senju would not have kissed her, distraction or no, if she had still been in a relationship with Sasuke Uchiha. Their confrontation on the side of the mountain had proved that.

For the first time in two weeks, since their break up, Sakura felt a little better at being single again. Maybe Ino would be right this time. Maybe a trip across the world was just what she needed. Tilting her head back she drained the rest of the wine from the glass, setting it down on her personal table with a muted clunk and a smile on the corner of her lips.

Maybe, Tobirama would kiss her again, and not as a distraction but because he wanted to kiss her and have her kiss him back. 

Hashirama’s eyes darted across the paper in front of him. Izuna had been thorough indeed. 

“This is quite a contract Izuna, worthy of your reputation.” Hashirama ticked his initials to the last page and signed it with a flourish that would have made John Hancock proud. “So many stipulations. One would think this bet had been your idea and not mine.” Hashirama mused.

“It’s a wager, worthy of my attention.” Izuna grinned a wolfish grin, his eyes hadn’t stopped sparkling since Hashirama had upped the ante. 

“Don’t worry Hashirama, there'll still be a place for you here at Uchiha Co. after you lose our little bet. I’ll be taking your office though.” Izuna continued to smirk as Madara chuckled low in his chest.

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves Izuna. This is a year long wager. There’ll be time to celebrate, later.” Madara tented his fingers on the table before him. “If we lose, not only does Hashirama get my shares of the company, he gets yours as well. Remember that Izuna.”

“We won’t lose Madara, are you kidding? Sakura marry that Ice dragon?” Izuna chortled, almost hugging himself at the prospect of moving into Hashirama’s office suite. “It’ll never happen! Not in a million years!”

“Tobirama might soften up enough to be interested in Sakura, I’ll give him that, but fall in love with her, and her fall in love with him?” Izuna’s voice was incredulous. “Come on!” he waved his hand through the air dismissing such a ridiculous idea.

“They’ve gotten closer in the last year, particularly in these last few months, it’s true, but I agree with Izuna Hashirama, marriage, no, Sakura wouldn’t marry Tobirama.” Madara tented his fingers together on the table before him. “I don’t think she would have gone through with her engagement to our nephew either, but marry Tobirama, no.”

“It’s not that unheard of.” Hashirama wasn’t offended by the Uchiha’s talk, he understood. 

Tobirama wasn't a charmer. He wasn’t a ladies man but that was only because Tobirama was so picky. He had near impossible standards that almost no woman could ever live up to, except Sakura.

“Izuna doesn’t mean your brother isn’t deserving of Sakura’s affections, Hashirama.” Madara added, not wishing to offend his friend. “Only given their personalities, it is doubtful either one of them will be confident enough to make a move toward one another, even if the feeling is mutual.”

Hashirama nodded. “I would agree with you, if I hadn’t seen that picture of Sakura at the airport.” Hashirama smiled a little to himself. “Tobirama is a very respectful man and he respects Sakura a great deal, but if you look closer at the picture you’ll see what I saw.”

“It is true, Sakura and Sasuke are no longer together? It is also true my brother would not have considered a relationship with her while he thought she belonged to another man.” Hashirama watched his words sink into the two Uchiha brothers. “I’m surprised at you Madara. You’ve seen Tobi in business. He always gets what he wants and I think it is safe to say, whether you think it or not, he wants Sakura.”

Izuna pulled his phone from his pocket and brought the picture Sakura had sent him up on his phone again, enlarging it with his fingers as Hashirama had done earlier that afternoon and gasped. “Tobirama took the picture.”

Madara took the phone from his brother’s unresisting hand and looked at the picture again. “He has his arm around her.” Madara looked at Hashirama. “Tobirama took the picture with his arm around Sakura’s shoulders.”

“A bold move for him.” Izuna muttered. “Still…”

“He sure did.” Hashirama was hugging himself in glee.

“Shit.” Izuna looked down at the contract he and Madara had just signed then back up at Hashirama. “You sly asshole.” Izuna grinned and Madara began to laugh.

Sakura squirmed restlessly in her seat. She had to go to the bathroom but hadn’t gotten up enough courage to unbuckle her seatbelt yet. Looking up at the well lit panel above her she could see plainly that the fasten seat belt light was off. There were other people milling between the seats, leaning over chairs speaking to either friends, family of business associates.

She closed her eyes, she could do this. “Tobirama, could you let me pass please. I need to use the bathroom.”

Tobirama had felt her squirming in her seat for the last hour and wondered how long it would take her to get over her stubbornness and ask him to move out of her way so she could use the facilities. “It’s at the end of the hall on the left. If the tag is red, it means it’s occupied, if it is green it means it is unoccupied.”

Sakura flashed him a grateful smile and slipped out of her seat, past him, into the aisle. Tobirama followed the pink bob of her head over the seats until it disappeared behind the curtain.

Tapping her finger tips nervously against her leg Sakura walked to the back of the plane as Tobirama had directed her. So focused on her destination, she hadn't noticed the dark redheaded man rise from his seat and step out in front of her.

“Oh!’ Sakura exclaimed, her arms rising to press against the hard chest of a stranger as the stranger’s hands shot up to lay against the tops of her shoulders steadying her.

Sakura looked up into solem, clear teal eyes the color of the Medetereanean Sea. “I’m so sorry.” She apologized.

“Not at all.” The redhead replied, his eyes dropping down to her lips as she spoke. 

“Um, if you’ll excuse me?” Sakura ducked under his arms that he had failed to remove from her shoulders and stepped into the bathroom behind him, locking the door and locking out her embarrassment.

So, Gaara watched the green tag switch to red as Sakura locked the door to the bathroom behind her, that’s Sakura Haruno, the Senju and Uchiha’s little pet.


	9. Chapter 9

Cold amber eyes surveyed the surveillance panel before him in annoyance. This was Kankuro’s fault. It was his nephew’s fault Sasori had to waste his time and effort on such an easily avoidable project. He would call Temari later, to see how the second half of Kankuro’s punishment was going.

He loathed the very notion of what he was being forced to do. This entire year’s worth of work was put on hold to right Kankuro’s debacle. There were other things that deserved his attention at the moment but he knew he couldn’t let this slide. He couldn’t wash his hands and cut his losses. If it had been a lesser known company of his, yes, but Akasuna Acquisitions was too well known, it had been in his family for years. His name was at stake.

“If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.” Sasori sighed. “Well, what’s done is done. Moving on…” 

He pressed the flat of his hand against the recognition panel. Lights began popping up across the board, their corresponding cameras adjusting their focus automatically. Twelve hours, and they would be here. Sasori punched the access code into the keyboard in front of him, picked up his phone to check the connection and nodded in satisfaction as camera after camera popped up on his screen.

He was ready.

“Now.” He turned his head to the left. “The audio.”

Tobirama handed Sakura down her carry on bag. She had been silent and white knuckled for the duration of their descent and landing. The strange expression on her face was unreadable. He wasn’t sure what to make of it. She looked sad and slightly disappointed. Was she upset at him, had he done something wrong?

When their captain announced their approach to Detroit Metropolitan Airport she had stiffened in her seat but hadn’t expressed any of the near panic she had displayed upon take off. Was she expecting him to kiss her again, should he have? He wasn’t sure.

Tobirama watched her adjust the strap of her purse. He watched her shoulder her messenger style carry on bag then fidget with the little racoon charm on the zipper. Should he say something to her?

She had been nearly silent for the second half of their flight.

No. He was overthinking this.

“You seem to like landing much more than taking off.” He commented casually, hoping to regain some of their intimacy. “You barely made a sound as we landed.”

Sakura remained silent, merely nodding without eye contact at his words.

“A car will be waiting for us outside of baggage claim, come.” Tobirama stepped out into the aisle without looking back. Whatever was on her mind, she would tell him if she wanted him to know. Perhaps it was just nerves. Perhaps it was the culture shock she had mentioned earlier. Tobirama cast his eyes to the side, she seemed okay. He must be over thinking it because of their kiss.

They needed to focus though. They would be meeting Akasuna soon. This would be Sakura’s first big challenge, the first of many she would face this year abroad. It would also be his first time meeting the man, in person. He wondered if he was every bit as intimidating as people claimed he was.

If he had looked back. If he had turned and given her another moment to reply he would have seen the look of confusion and sadness in her eyes, he would have seen her mouth open to speak, and maybe, maybe their first week in America wouldn’t have been quite as awkward, but he didn’t. He looked straight ahead, his focus unwavering, his mind on the remaining hours of the day.

The curtain that separated the first class business from the second class was pulled aside. Gaara could watch freely the interaction between his targets. The man’s behavior toward the woman seemed forced. The woman’s reaction to the man, hesitant. This perplexed him. It was contradictory to everything he had heard about his targets from his uncle.

Weren’t the Senju and the Uchiha close to the woman? Wasn’t she one of their precious few, their pet? It seemed that not everything had been analyzed correctly. He knew the woman was much closer to the Uchiha than the Senju, but his uncle had led him to believe that she was also very close to the Senju, however, it did not appear to be the case.

He wanted to observe them further, but he knew he needn’t bother. His uncle would take charge soon enough. Gaara knew Sasori well, everything they needed to keep an eye and ear on their targets would already be in place, had already been in place before they had even landed. Gaara smiled. The Senju and the Uchiha were clever, but his uncle Sasori was a genius.

A genius with the bitter taste of revenge on his tongue.

A car was waiting for them just as Tobirama said there would be. Sakura stood by the door of the vehicle while Tobirama and The driver packed their luggage into the trunk. Seeing that they were done, Sakura reached for the handle but was gently nudged aside as Tobirama opened the door for her.

“My apologies Sakura. I should have let you into the vehicle before loading our luggage.” Tobirama held the door open for her and waved her into her seat.

Sakura nodded. She felt out of place. Why had Tobirama assisted the driver, normally he would allow the driver to simply do his job and load their bags unassisted. 

She swallowed as she looked out the window of the backseat. Everything was in English, all the signs in the airport were in English. Sakura smoothed her wrinkled skirt down over her legs. Everyone in the airport had been speaking English and she realized her English wasn’t nearly as good as she had thought it was.

It made her self conscious. She had spent the better part of the last hour on the plane giving herself a pep talk, reassuring herself she could do this, that this was what she wanted, that she was ready. She had been fooling herself.

It was then she realized how very out of her element she was.

Tobirama watched Sakura out of the corner of his eye. She had been unusually quiet for the reminder of their flight. She was quiet now. Was it nerves, was she nervous about being in another country for the first time? Was it culture shock as she had mentioned on their flight?

He had been to the United States a number of times in the past and found it just as annoying and just as bothersome as ever. He enjoyed his visits, but there were aspects of western culture he wasn’t very fond of, mostly the PDA and the sub par work standards in the offices.

“Are you tired? I scheduled us to stop into the office before retiring to our domiciles for the evening but if you’d prefer to rest first I can have the driver drop you off at your new apartment on the way to the office?” He offered. 

“I’m fine.” Sakura continued to look out the car window. “Thank you Tobirama sama.” She added politely. At least she wasn’t alone. Tobirama was with her.

Tobirama’s fingers flexed and twitched against the side of his pants in agitation. She had added an honorific to his name, was she that upset with him for kissing her? She hadn’t seemed upset before. They had conversed with relative success afterward and he thought that she was…had she changed her mind, was she purposefully putting distance between them?

“As you wish Sakura san.” He saw her stiffen slightly, then relax, her forehead pressed against the window.

This was a new country, she told herself, a new chance to be herself without restrictions. Here in the United States there would be a new social norm. Maybe, it could be her new norm.

When she first started university she swore she would be the person she had always wanted to be. She didn’t want to be that timid shy girl anymore, the girl of her academy days, so she had joined a club and made some new friends. In her second year Sasuke had asked her out, throwing her plan back in her face. Reverting back into her old self, she told herself that was what she wanted that, that was who she wanted to be.

How foolish she had been. Six years later, again, she wanted to remake herself, find herself. It wasn’t too late was it? On the airplane she had felt herself reverting, felt her confidence wavering again, second guessing herself, like always.

“No more.” She whispered to the window. No more, she promised herself. Tobirama had given her a chance for a new life, a new opportunity. She wasn’t in Japan anymore, she was in America, the land of opportunity, of freedom right? 

‘The trick to life, is knowing what you really want and not giving up until you get it.’ Her father’s words came back to her. ‘Your reality is what you make it Sakura kiddo.’

What do I want from life, she asked herself.

‘Where do you see yourself in five years Sakura?’ Tobirama’s words came back to her.

She frowned at the reply she had given him.

‘Is that all you want?’ He had looked at her with such pity in his eyes, with such knowing…

“No.” She pressed her hand over her heart, that wasn’t all she wanted. 

“Tobirama san.” Sakura withdrew herself from her brooding thoughts. “Thank you for this opportunity.”

Tobirama blinked and just like that, it was okay. Just like that, she seemed to be herself again. “You’re welcome Sakura. Please, I asked you to call me Tobirama.”

Sakura smiled. “Okay, Tobirama.” She raised her chin and met his eyes. “I’m going to do my best. I’m going to learn as much as I can. I want that promotion, I want more than I have now.”

Tobirama smiled. “Good.” Something had changed in her. “You deserve more.”

“I do.” Sakura hummed happily to herself, turning back to the window as the buildings flew by three or four at a time. If Tobirama thought she could do it, she felt that she had no reason to doubt herself.

Satisfied, Tobirama settled more comfortably into his seat. “We’ll stop by the office and introduce ourselves to Akasuna, observe the basic layout and get an overall feel of the atmosphere we will be working with while we’re here.” He began to prep her before their arrival.

“Keep your eyes and ears open. Employees will say any number of truths before they realize who you are. You in particular, are in a very valuable position, at least to start.” He nodded to himself. “No one knows who you are. I’ve asked for a low key private introduction to serve that purpose.” He clarified.

“Oh?” Sakura pursed her lips, then nodded her own understanding. Tobirama Senju was well known in Japan and the United States as a figure of industry, trade and business. In other words, recognizable. She on the other hand, was not.

“Just be yourself, Sakura but don’t let people push you around. Start this year in America as you hope to finish it. Strongly. You will be introduced to the office tomorrow morning as Akasuna’s new assistant.” He was pleased she understood, he would hate to have to walk her through the concept. 

Of course, if she hadn’t proven herself clever enough to keep up with him, he wouldn’t have brought her with him. “Let them come to you. People tend to reveal their true nature if they think they are better than you, more important than you, or equal to you. They will try you, they will test you, don’t back down.”

“I am well aware.” Sakura sighed. She understood, he wanted her to grow a backbone.

“I’m sure you are.” Tobirama patted her hand. She could do this, he knew she could. It is easier to invent yourself when no one knows who you are and here, he was the only one who knew what kind of a person Sakura truly was. It was time she learned how to stand up for herself more.

Sakura looked down where his hand covered hers, watched as he withdrew his hand back to his own lap and waited. It was intentional, it meant something.

“The kiss…” He began then paused. 

“Was nice.” She finished his sentence for him.

Tobirama swallowed. “It was.”

“Next time.” Sakura bit her bottom lip. “Don’t use it as a distraction.”

“Next time?” He asked her. If she was brave enough to be bold, so was he.

“Next time.” Sakura nodded. “Unless of course it really was just a distraction?”

She waited. Be bold, she reminded herself.

“It was not.” The car pulled to a stop in front of a moderately tall building plain in appearance but solidly built.

“Good.” Sakura opened her car door before the driver could reach for the handle. It had worked, she had done it and it had worked.

Tobirama watched Sakura straighten her suit coat and skirt, flip her hair over her shoulder, then peer back in at him through the window. 

“Coming?” She asked.


	10. Chapter 10

Sasori glanced down at his watch. They should be here any moment according to that ridiculous itinerary the Senju had sent him. He tapped his two toned dress shoe impatiently against the marble flooring. Gaara had already texted him that their plane had landed. Where the hell were they?

“Excuse me sir, would you be so kind as to direct me to the nearest bathroom please?”

Sasori looked up from his watch to see a slightly built pink haired woman smiling at him pleasantly. It wasn’t her looks that made him pause before answering however, it was her thinly masked accent. She was Japanese. He didn’t recognize her though.

“Who are you? What business do you have here? This is a private building.” His voice was flat, blunt and calm. He didn’t care for surprises and this woman had surprised him.

Sakura continued to smile pleasantly. Whoever this man was, she wasn’t going to let him dampen her spirits or make her second guess her decision she had made to be her own person in the car ride here. “Hum. That’s alright, I’ll find it on my own.” She turned on her heel, her smile still on her face.

Sasori moved quickly, grabbing her elbow and spinning her back around to face him. How dare she walk away from him without answering him. “I asked you a question.”

Anger flashed in Sakura’s eyes too brightly to be concealed by her smile. Who the hell did this man think he was to grab her. He was Japanese, he should know better. “I asked you a question as well and found your reply unsatisfactory.” Sakura bowed before she could stop herself. “Good day.” She turned to leave once more.

Momentarily stunned by her cheeky reply, he let her go. It had been quite some time since someone had spoken to him like that. Still, with the representatives from Osaka arriving any moment, he couldn’t afford to have an unknown roaming his building. How did she get into the building anyway, all visitors were required to check in and he knew, there weren’t any visitors scheduled for today. He had made sure of it.

Sasori pulled his phone from his pocket. “Baki. I need you to look into something for me, now. I encountered a rather presumptuous woman with pink hair and...”

“She’s what?” Sasori didn’t wait for Baki’s reply before snapping his phone shut and pocketing it. It seems Gaara had left a few very important details out of his report. Sasori would speak to the boy about it later, but now...

He was waiting outside the closest Ladies room for her when she finally emerged, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

“How long does it take to use the facilities? I thought you might have fallen in.” A sarcastic voice drew her attention as Sakura stepped out of the pristine ladies room.

“Sorry, did you need to go?” She waved her hand behind her indicating the room was now free for his use, a spark of anger in her eye.

Sasori ignored her snark to survey her more closely. He remained silent. Sakura fumed.

“Is my english that poor? You didn’t seem to have any difficulties understanding me before.” Sakura placed her right hand on her hip and narrowed her eyes at the red head in front of her.

Sasori remained quiet, amused by the slight twitch in her left eye. He wondered, ‘What will she do if I simply refuse to answer her? Let’s find out.’ He waited, amber eyes focused on her face, the gentle curve of her jaw, the tension on the left side where she was gritting her teeth. An emotional thing, he mused.

“If that’s all, then I’ll be on my way. I’m expected elsewhere.” Sakura stepped forward expecting Sasori to step out of her way but he didn’t.

“Please move.” Sakura refused to let this man bully her, but she was quickly losing her composure. She had tried to play it cool, tried to act like he wasn’t getting to her but he was and they both knew it. She could see it in his eyes as he continued to watch her in silence. It infuriated her.

This is the point in the confrontation she would normally cave, this is the time she would normally bow and apologize, try to laugh it off and back away but...

Tobirama told her without telling her to grow a backbone, well now was as good a time as any right? If she let this man push her around, he would tell everyone and by the end of the day she would be back to ‘Sakura, the Uchiha pet’. She wasn’t clueless, she knew what others said about her in the office back home.

She wasn’t a pet. She had earned her office on the same floor as Tobirama’s. She had earned his respect and gotten a round trip ticket to the United States with a possible promotion at the end. She wasn’t going to lose it, not at the very start, not at the first challenge.

“No.” Sasori smirked. She would break. He could see the indecision in her eyes, she was weak. All her talk, all her bravado was an act. “Tell me, where is Tobirama Senju, you came together didn’t you?”.

Sakura cocked her head to the side. He knew who she was and he had challenged her. His confidence was...oh. 

Click

“Akasuna Sasori?”

He smirked. Sakura rolled her eyes.

“Of course you are.” She muttered. Of course he was. What a wonderful first impression she was making. Her shoulders slumped, then straightened again. Asshole, he was an asshole.

“Haruno Sakura, welcome to America. How was your flight?” Sasori smiled pleasantly at the woman as he continued to block her path, sarcasm dripping from every word.

“Do you always speak to people you don’t know so rudely, because you didn’t know who I was before did you?” She was annoyed, not only at him but herself. She should have known, she ought to have guessed. His demeanor, his attitude, his challenge screamed authority. She was an idiot. On her path to a stronger self she had chosen her first opponent poorly.

No room to back track now. She may be trying to rebuild herself, but she wasn’t a complete coward.

“My tone doesn’t change with my audience. You were bothering me with something trivial when I was focused on something else.” He waved her comment away, dismissing her reasoning.

Sakura bristled. “How disappointing.” She pursed her lips in false contemplation. Her own annoyance fueled her words.

“Can’t focus on more than one thing at a time? I had heard such great things about you too. How, disappointing.” Sakura waited, her heart thumping in her chest. 

What the hell was she doing, this was a disaster. She had meant to be bold not, not a jerk and yet this man seemed to draw out the worst in her. She couldn’t stop herself. He bothered her, got under her skin like no one ever had before she wanted to, to kick him or bite him. He was so obnoxiously frustrating to her.

He could see the frustration in her eyes. She was barely holding her temper in check, one more push, one more jab ought to do it.

“What a pity.” Sasori purposely looked behind her at the door not even bothering to look her in the eye because he knew it would annoy her the most. “I was hoping they would send someone more qualified, you, clearly don’t have enough experience, doll. It’s written all over your face. What did you do, sleep with the younger Senju brother to ensure your position here?”

Something inside of her snapped. She had heard the talk in the lunchroom. She knew what most of the other employees back home thought of her. Even if she had earned her degree and had graduated at the top of her class, they all thought she had slept her way to the top. They all thought she had only been hired because she was the owner’s nephew’s girlfriend.

This man knew nothing about her, and yet he had the audacity to stand before her, to block her way and disparage her to her face. ‘At least he isn’t a coward, at least he doesn’t belittle you behind your back’, her logical mind betrayed her.

“I’m not impressed,” Sakura’s voice was low. “with your obnoxious show of power Akasuna san.”

Sakura raised her head meeting his bored and passive gaze. “You don’t know me or why Senju san chose me to oversee your company’s buyout with him. Don't make a fool of yourself by passing judgement on someone you’ve never met.”

“Hum.” Her fire was unexpected. “As you will.” He stepped aside so she could pass.

Sakura nodded stiffly and walked past him down the hall. Just before the hall split he called out to her.

“I look forward to getting to know you better, Sakura. You have a year to change my mind.” He called out after her.

Sakura took a deep breath, turned to face him once more and bowed shallowly. “It is my pleasure.” She used Tobirama’s words for her own. 

“The pleasure is mine.” Sasori drummed agile fingers against his leg as he pulled his phone from his pocket.

“Gaara, they’re here. How far away are you?”

“I’ve just entered the building Uncle. Tobirama Senju is waiting alone in the foyer. I do not know where Haruno san is.” Gaara spoke into the phone as he tapped the code into his uncle’s private elevator.

“I’ve just met her. You failed to mention her physical appearance in your surveillance report Gaara. You’re losing your touch boy.” Sasori split the screen to his phone in half so he could watch Sakura walk down the hall toward the foyer on his security camera.

“I didn’t think her appearance was of any importance Uncle, I apologize.”

“You wouldn’t would you.” Sasori hummed as though to himself. His nephew was so singular at times. Sasori sighed, his loss.

“Uncle?” Gaara inquired.

“Go and greet our guests Gaara, escort them to conference room 3. I will see you shortly.” Sasori hung up on his nephew enlarging Sakura’s frame on his screen.

No, her appearance was of no importance to his nephew, clearly. Sasori chuckled to himself as he watched Sakura approach the Senju, her shoulders stiff, her posture straight, not the posture of a lover or a seducer. So, maybe she hadn’t slept with the man to secure her position in the company. He hadn’t really thought she had, he had only said it to piss her off, for his own amusement and entertainment.

Everything he found and everything Gaara had been able to dig up on the man said he was as straight laced as they came. His file was barely an inch thick. What little they were able to find on the man, were all accomplishments. He chuckled to himself. No one was that clean, they just needed to dig a little deeper. Eventually, they would find something to use against the man. Every man had a weakness. Sasori hummed to himself as he walked down the hall. Some weaknesses were just harder to spot than others.

“I look forward to the challenge.” Sasori smiled as he walked down the stairs to the conference room to meet his targets.


	11. Chapter 11

This was not how her first day in America was supposed to go. She had never been exposed to such deception before, she wasn’t prepared for it. Tobirama hadn’t warned her of it. Why hadn’t he warned her? Surely he must have known what kind of man this Akasuna was, who his nephew was, and he hadn’t said a word. He had only told her to be observant, to be aware and had let her unwittingly walk straight into the viper’s den.

This entire situation was foreign to her. Her fingers dug into the fabric of her skirt under the cover of the sleek ebony polished table top. Heat rose in her cheeks. She was angry, she realized, at Tobirama. He ought to have warned her. He was supposed to be her ally, her friend.

Logically she knew her anger was more than slightly irrational, but as her eyes rose to meet cold amber the flaming irritation licking at her nerves erupted into a full blown forest fire. Green eyes passed from amber to placid teal. This was nothing to them she realized. She was the odd man out here, not them, not Tobirama. The heat behind her eyes pooled and broke. She wanted to cry. She was in way over her head.

When Gaara had approached them in the foyer, she had been confused, she had smiled at him, recognizing him from the plane as the stranger she had bumped into. When he bowed formally to them and introduced himself as Akasuna’s nephew, she had been unreasonably hurt, she felt betrayed. She didn’t know him. He had been a stranger on the plane as much as he had been when he introduced himself to them less than fifteen minutes ago and yet…

She was so naïve. 

Sakura pleated the fabric of her skirt under the table over and over, her head bent, her teeth withering her bottom lip. She had anticipated trial, opposition and the need to step out of her comfort zone. She hadn’t anticipated the intrigue, the deception or the possibility of manipulative undertones or hidden agendas.

“...jetlag.” The soft monotone voice of Sabaku broke through Sakura’s anxiety. “She must be suffering from jetlag.” Teal eyes observed her placidly from across the table.

Was he mocking her? No, Sakura relaxed, he wasn’t mocking her he was just making an observation. A kind one she admitted. An excuse. He was giving her an excuse for her distracted state and lack of participation. He was empathetic? Sakura nodded minutely to the younger redhead, acknowledging his effort. He blinked. 

They had been discussing her and she hadn’t even known it. She looked back down at her hands in her lap.

“Yet neither you nor Senju san seem to be affected in the least.” Sasori’s droning voice caught her ears. He was insulting her, again.

Sakura looked up from her hands under the table, noticing all three sets of eyes were trained on her, she opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by Tobirama.

“Perhaps we could reconvene in the morning as scheduled.” He rose to his feet, inclining his head to both Akasuna and his nephew. “Gentlemen.”

“By all means Haruno san. Take your rest. Compose yourself.” Sasori’s eyes glinted. “I hope to see you in a better mindset in the morning.”

Gaara’s eyes passed from Sakura’s to his uncle swiftly then set their sights on the Senju. Something had happened between his uncle and the woman, she had gained his uncle’s interest that much was clear, how?

“A better mindset.” Sakura muttered under her breath, bowed without another word and walked out of the office ahead of Tobirama turning her back to the room.

Sasori chuckled behind her. “An interesting choice Senju san.”

“Don’t take her lack of experience for lack of qualification Akasuna san.” Tobirama met the man eye for eye. “Sakura is more than qualified. It would be best not to underestimate her. Everyone who has underestimated her in the past, has regretted it.” Tobirama bowed shallowly, closing the door to conference room 3 behind him with a snap.

“Interesting.” Sasori drummed his fingers on the table top. It wasn’t a threat, no, but it was a warning. Sasori understood the Senju’s words perfectly. “I regret nothing.”

Gaara remained silent beside his uncle. The woman had barely paid attention throughout their first meeting. Clearly she hadn’t heard a word, lost in her own head as she was. 

“Uncle.” Gara began.

“We shared a few heated words, nothing more Gaara.” Sasori silenced his nephew’s line of thought. “Keep an eye on the Senju this evening. I want to know what he does, his habits, his routine that isn’t listed on the itinerary.”

Gaara nodded.

“I’ll be watching Sakura this evening.” Sasori hummed to himself. “From my office.” He added before rising from his seat and leaving Gaara alone to contemplate his uncle’s unusual interest in someone he had just met.

It was the first time his uncle had shown such deep interest in someone he had no intention of tearing apart, either socially, financially or literally and it worried Gaara, just a bit. He had learned over the years that any attention Sasori paid you, wasn’t good attention.

“Sakura.” Tobirama could see she was bothered. He knew why. The question wasn’t what was wrong, but how she would handle the situation and if she blamed him for it.

“I just need to rest, get some sleep and I’ll be fine. It’s probably jetlag, like Sabaku san said.” Her tone was flat as they drove to their new apartments. She didn’t want to discuss it with him.

Tobirama didn’t say anything. She had chosen anger then, fine. He understood. Anger was better than hysterics, though he doubted she would resort to such pointless behavior. Anger he could deal with, hysterics, not so much.

“As you wish.” Tobirama replied, resigned to silence. “If you need me, my apartment is only three doors down from your own. Please do not hesitate to call on me, if you like.”

Sakura nodded, acknowledging his offer. She knew if she had been anyone else he wouldn’t have bothered. That, however, didn’t make up for allowing her to face such an adversary so ill informed as she was. Irrational as her anger was, she just couldn’t seem to let it go.

The rest of their short drive was completed in silence.

It looked like the guidebook picture Hashirama had given her before she left Japan. Sakura stood in the middle of her new living room. The apartment she would be using for the next year. It was larger than it looked in the pictures she decided.

Walking into the kitchen she stopped and stared at the appliances. “How strange.” She ran her hand over what looked to be a microwave.

Bending down she opened the oven and peered inside. So large, she giggled to herself. She could make dinner for twelve people in one oven. Ridiculous, she laughed out loud. She had to call Ino. What time was it? Sakura looked down at her watch. 8pm, so it was 6am in Osaka at the moment. Sakura hummed to herself, she would wait an hour. Ino wouldn’t like to be woken up before her alarm.

Grabbing one of her suitcases by the handle she wheeled it down the hall to her bedroom. “This room is big too.” She lifted the suitcase up onto the bed with a small huff. This would take some getting used to.

There was a dresser for her use, it seemed the apartment had come fully furnished for her convenience. The guide said Akasuna kept the apartments readily available for guest clients or visiting family but since the building was under the ownership of Akasuna Acquisitions, it too was bought out by the Uchiha and Senju brothers.

Sakura paused in her movements. Madara and Hashirama had bought Akasuna’s company from him and kept him on as their General Manager. So, why did the man seem so bitter, why was he so resentful toward them. As naïve as she was even she had picked up on the tension masked by protocol in the room earlier. Something wasn’t right about the whole situation, it didn’t make sense to her.

If Sasori had willingly sold the company and stayed on to manage it under the Uchiha and Senju regime, why would he act so hostile toward her and so cold toward Tobirama? The only logical conclusion was, he wouldn’t.

Sakura pulled her phone from her carry on bag and set it to charge on her nightstand. She would call Tobirama and ask to see the final contract of sale for the buyout. If she was going to do this, she needed all the information. Something she ought to have asked for before agreeing to accompany Tobirama on this trip. She was learning though, a mistake she wouldn’t make again.

With most of her clothes in her new dresser she turned back to the suitcase, her eyes falling onto the bamboo box Madara had gifted her. Picking the box up, she walked into the living room, looking for a place to put her sword.

There was a long thin table behind the couch. She didn’t have any power tools to hang the sword on the wall as Madara had suggested, and doubted Tobirama would pack such a thing in his suitcase to bring with him from Japan. 

The box in itself was decorative, so she pulled the lid from the box and set it on the glass table behind the couch in the middle, laid the bottom of the box on an angle resting it solidly against its lid to display it ‘in case’.

“Not bad.” She smiled. She would take a picture of it later and send it to Madara. He would wish to know she had followed his advice and displayed the gift he had taken the time to purchase for her well being.

Moving back into her bedroom she took her toothbrush and toothpaste to the bathroom. Pushing the door open with her toe she peered inside. She was pleased and surprised to see a Japanese style family bathroom. “Nice.” She hummed, setting her toothbrush and toothpaste on the counter above the mirror sink.

Ino raved about the western style baths and complained about how her father wouldn’t let her remodel her bathroom at home in the western motif. Personally Sakura preferred the Japanese style family baths, not only because it was what she was used to but because she found it much more practical. Who would want to sit and stew in their own filth? It was much better to scrub the grime away, then sink into a nice hot relaxing tub to soak away your stress.

Something she would be doing right after dinner.

With dinner on the mind she walked back into her new kitchen, ignoring her second suitcase in favor of exploring the possibility of food. Opening the refrigerator revealed fully stocked shelves, complete with a variety of fish, chicken and beef for her enjoyment. On the bottom shelf were a similar variety of vegetables and on the door of the refrigerator were different flavored fruit drinks.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Sakura grinned at the display before her. She wouldn’t have to go grocery shopping for at least a week, nice.

The freezer, when opened revealed several quick heat meals, wonton wrapper packages and small frozen individually wrapped packages of plain mochi.

“No ice cream.” Sakura frowned into the freezer. It would give her an excuse to go out into the city alone to explore, later.

Sasori smiled to himself as he watched Sakura move about the apartment he had provided for her. ‘No ice cream’, she had managed to find something wrong with his efforts already had she? He chuckled to himself as he picked up his phone.

“See that ice cream is added to Miss Haruno’s freezer tomorrow during the day, while she is out of her apartment.” He paused as Gaara asked him a question. “Chocolate I think, yes, chocolate I’m sure.” Sasori paused again.

“How did you know she would appreciate such a whimsical gesture boy? When I got your text message I was surprised at your request. What made you want to do such a pointless thing for her?” Sasori wanted to know what about the woman had moved his nephew, his nephew who barely registered the importance of her appearance, to request Miss Haruno’s kitchen be stocked with groceries for her convenience.

“It is her first time leaving Japan, her second time leaving Osaka.” Gaara said cryptically. “Her first time on a plane. She was terrified upon taking off in Japan and barely clenched her armrest upon landing in the United States.”

Sasori snorted. “You respect her.”

A grunt from the other end of the line.

“Omoshiroi.”

“Is it?” Gaara, who never questioned his uncle, inquired.

“I believe it is.” Sasori hung up on his nephew without waiting for a reply, his eyes following the small figure across the screen in front of him. 

She was a quirky thing, expressive and easily read. The sword had been an unexpected addition to her home however, and he wondered if she knew how to wield it. He would need to find out tomorrow perhaps.

The past few months had been spent investigating the Senju and the Uchiha brothers, very little had been spent on investigating Sakura Haruno. What he knew of her had been uncovered during the investigation of the other two. Sasori actually knew very little about her. Normally, that would bother him, however this time, it didn’t, In fact he welcomed the mystery.

He watched her pull a pot from one of the bottom shelves in her kitchen. Sasori would find out what made her tick soon enough. In the short time he had spent with her he had learned she was quick to anger but hesitant to act, unless pushed just a little too far. Then, she exploded, but not like most people exploded in the face of insult, no she was different.

When she exploded she burned, steady and strong, vibrantly. He loved it, her reactions, that fire in her eyes, that determination and yet, he had seen two other sides of her in their short meeting as well. Uncertainty, vulnerability. It was almost endearing the way her mind worked. It had captivated him. It had made his plans for the next year, that much more interesting.

“Perhaps this next year won’t be a complete waste of my time.” Picking his phone up once more he dialed his niece in Suna.

“Temari, hold off on Kankuro’s second, or is it his third punishment by now? He has, through his incompetence, offered me some very unusual entertainment. Allow him to breath, until further notice.”

Temari blinked, looked over at her brother who was still bleeding from the mouth and set down her phone. “It’s your lucky day Kankuro. Uncle gave you a temporary reprieve.”

“Thank kami for that.” Kankuro gasped then wheezed. Spitting a broken tooth out with a mouthful of blood. “Fuck Tem, get me out of this thing would you then?”

“Right. Hold still idiot.” Temari pulled her side blade from her belt and swiped it against the binds that held her brother to the board.

“Ungh.” Kankuro fell to the ground. “Thanks.”

“Don’t thank me, thank whatever distracted our Uncle from your inevitable demise.” Temari said flatly before walking out of the last room in the bottom corner of the Akasuna estate in Suna.

“Uncle, distracted?” Kankuro fell back onto his back and spread his arms and legs out, grateful for the cooling cement on his bare skin. “I wonder what distracted him.” He muttered before closing his eyes.


	12. Chapter 12

Tobirama looked down at his watch. It was 8pm, and he wondered what Sakura planned on doing for dinner. They had been served a meal on their flight but that had been several hours ago. He knew she must be getting hungry. With one final glance at his empty cupboards he grabbed his jacket and left his apartment. Perhaps she would wish to join him for dinner.

There were a few things that needed to be said between them, things that were best said now rather than later. He had seen the hurt in her eyes, just as he was sure Akasuna had seen it, picked up on it and would use it to his advantage. 

She felt betrayed and rightfully so. He had purposefully withheld the nature of their take over from her. He had wanted so see how she would react when faced with the unexpected. She had reacted poorly, he however didn’t blame her, he blamed himself. He hadn’t taken the time to prep her before leaving Japan. Warranted he had changed his mind as to who he would be taking with him at the last moment, still, that wasn’t her fault.

It had, however, added further tinder to the flames of gossip. He had done her a disservice, putting her in such a compromising light, but he wanted her to go with him for all the reasons he had told her, and a few he hadn’t told her, a few he wasn’t quite ready to tell her but should, now.

He wanted to be honest with her, he wanted to tell her how he felt about her.

Tobirama walked up the steps to Sakura’s apartment. Each apartment was joined at the wall but had their own separate entrances. He couldn’t see her front door from his apartment but he could look over the rail of his balcony and see the light on in her front window. He knew she was home, that she hadn’t gone out on her own to look for dinner. Unless, she left her light on in her absence.

He should have called her before coming over.

Did it really matter? He was over thinking things again. Tobirama reached out and knocked forcefully on her front door.

Sasori watched Sakura open her front door to reveal Tobirama Senju. He hadn’t expected the man to call on her so late in the evening. Perhaps they were closer than he thought.

Sakura set her knife down on her cutting board where she was slicing ginger into thin strips for her grilled fish. Wiping her hands on a small cloth she walked toward her door. 

“Tobirama?” Sakura stepped back from the door to let him inside, more than slightly surprised to see him at her door. “What can I do for you?”

“Would you like to have dinner with me?” He asked her, stepping through the door looking around her apartment with interest. The layout was slightly different than his.

“Actually I am in the process of making dinner right now, but you’re more than welcome to join me.” She offered, walking back into her kitchen.

“Making dinner? With what?” He asked as he followed her down the hall into the kitchen.

“With the food provided to me in the fridge, didn’t you check your refrigerator?” She asked him surprised, she would have thought he would have checked every inch of his apartment upon arrival as thorough of a man as he tended to be, not checking his refrigerator seemed a gross lack of awareness.

Tobirama walked past her and pulled the door to her refrigerator open, peering inside.

Sasori smirked as he watched the Senju rifle through Sakura’s cupboards. Gaara would need to be rewarded, this was incredibly entertaining to watch.

Tobirama stood stock still for a moment. “My kitchen is empty. Why is yours…”

Sakura watched as he began stalking around her kitchen, then her living room, bedroom and bathroom.

“Tobirama, what the heck are you doing?” She asked him puzzled by his odd behavior.

Tobirama grimaced. This was exactly why he hadn’t told her everything before leaving Japan. He had meant to fill her in on the airplane a bit more, then fully after meeting Akasuna in person but the situation and her fear of flying had prevented him from acting as he had initially planned.

“Looking. A preventative measure.” He replied vaguely. Was the place bugged?

Finding nothing, he turned back to Sakura. “I would like to take you up on your offer for dinner. What may I do to assist you?” He waited, his hand behind his back.

“Uh.” Sakura hesitated, she hadn’t expected him to take her up on her offer, much less ask to help with dinner. Was it just her or were his moods changing abruptly this evening? She shrugged.

Cooking was women’s work. Were the Senju not as traditional as the Uchiha? Who was she to stop him if he wished to assist her in the kitchen? Madara, Izuna and of course Sasuke would never dream of assisting her in the kitchen, or any female for that matter. Of course, she hadn’t spent much off time with the Senju. If she did see them out of the office it was at a function of some sort or a fundraiser that she had been invited to as Sasuke's girlfriend.

Of course there was that one time she had run into Tobirama in a café downtown Osaka, but that had been over a month ago and they had been in a café, there would have been no reason for him to assist her with anything.

“You want to help me cook?” She asked him forgetting her animosity from earlier. “Cook dinner?” She clarified, as though he could be referring to anything else.

Tobirama’s mouth twitched. “Yes, what are we having?”

“Fish, I was going to make grilled fish with a lemon ginger sauce and white rice.” Sakura waved her hand to her cutting board. “It’s not fancy or anything but…I’ll add another piece of fish to the platter for you.”

“I love grilled fish.” Tobirama began to roll his sleeves up.

“I know, I remember.”

He paused. “As I recall you prefer it to lobster as well?” He waited.

Sakura nodded.

Tobirama smiled to himself picking up her knife, resuming where she had left off. “It was the basis of quite a bit of talk at the last fundraiser. The girlfriend of Sasuke Uchiha refusing the gourmet lobster served to her in favor of requesting the simple grilled fish served to the second Senju brother.” He actually laughed out loud.

“That’s when I knew.” He said quietly as though to himself.

He was laughing again, like he had on the retreat. It was nice to see, she could almost forgive him for his lack of foresight on her behalf. She smiled. “Knew what?”

“That I liked you.” He looked up from the chopped ginger. Bluntness had always served him well in the past, no sense drawing this out...

“Well now.” Sasori sat back in his leather chair, the softness creaking under his weight. “That was unexpected.” He smirked. So, that was the man’s weakness.

Sasori watched as Sakura dropped the napa cabbage she had been washing in the sink. She didn’t know? From the camera angle Sasori could see Sakura’s unhindered facial expression, whereas Tobirama san could not. He watched, transfixed as her emotions flittered over her countenance freely.

“Well, what’s not to like about a low class girl asking for simple fish instead of lobster. I mean if it’s good enough for Tobirama Senju, it’s good enough for me.” Sasori watched her fix her face into a passive, dismissive state, turn and face the Senju. “Shock and awe Madara calls it.”

There’s that bravado again, Sasori tsked to himself. Did she not understand how transparent that was? Was she really that innocent, that naive?

“You are not Madara Uchiha.” Tobirama swept the minced ginger into the oil Sakura had poured on to the grilling pan, then turned to face her. “...and you’re anything but low class.”

“Oh.” Sakura turned back to the napa cabbage in the sink, her bottom lip caught between her teeth.

“Hum.” Sasori smoothed down the front of his shirt. There seemed to be something between the Senju and the woman, something he could use to his advantage.

What was he saying, what did this mean, why was this happening? Sakura broke the small cabbage apart under the water and placed the pieces into the boiling pot on the range.

“Tobirama.” She began as he spoke at the same time. “I’m sorry Sakura.”

“For what?” She asked.

“For not fully preparing you ahead of time. I have my reasons but it wasn’t fair to you.” He inclined his head to her before continuing. “No doubt you are upset at me, but please allow me to explain.”

“Explain why you didn’t tell me the finer details of your purchase agreement?” She quirked an eyebrow at the surprised Senju.

“You knew?” He hadn’t expected that. Hashirama must have told her.

“Of course not, how could I? I figured it out Tobirama, on my own. Sasori, his attitude, the tension in the room, that wasn’t just from our three minute interaction, no matter how obnoxious the man might be, it didn’t warrant the hostility I got from him, nor the sympathy of his nephew.” Sakura smiled as she stirred the cabbage. She had been miffed before but her ire was cooling in his familiar presence.

Sasori sat up straight in his chair. Sympathy? From Gaara? How could she know about the groceries?

“Sympathy?” Tobirama asked ignoring the rest of her statement, focusing on the only part that didn’t make sense to him. “What sympathy?”

“Oh please.” Sakura scoffed. “All of you knew. Anyone with half a brain could see I was way in over my head, that I didn’t have the barest clue as to what was going on. Akasuna has a sharp tongue that’s for sure but it wasn’t his words that bothered me. It was the sentiment, the venom behind them that irked me. It was uncalled for and out of place for a simple buyout.” She paused.

“Sabaku san could see my confusion and I think, he pitied me a bit. I don’t want his pity but it was kinda nice you know, from a stranger.” Sakura tilted her head to the side in thought. “He’s so monotone and blank, almost like, a robot or something, it was nice to see his, well, that he can care.” She smiled at Tobirama who blinked at her.

Sakura straightened her posture and set the spoon beside the pot, turned and looked Tobirama in the eye.

“It wasn’t a buyout though, was it Tobirama, it was a take over wasn’t it? Ino told me before I left that her father said Akasuna was a difficult man to work with, proud is the impression I got from her. Why would he sell his company? A company that his uncle started from the ground up, the more I thought of it the less sense this whole thing made.” Sakura opened the oven and shoved the fish inside, set the timer and shut the door. “I didn’t have a lot of time before we left Japan, but I was curious, so I did a little research of my own on Akasuna.”

“Why lie to me?” She asked him more curious than upset. “Why allow me to think it was a consensual buyout? That Akasuna wanted to sell his company?”

“I wanted to see how you would react, how you would handle yourself.” Tobirama answered her honestly. “You failed, however, you impressed me just now with your deductions. Impressive Sakura.”

Sakura rolled her eyes. “Logic Tobirama, it was logic. So, if Akasuna didn’t want to sell his company how did you manage to buy it from him?” That was the part she didn’t understand.

Sasori crossed his arms over his chest and waited. Would the man tell her the truth? It was clear to Sasori, Sakura would believe anything the man told her. She trusted him.

“Quite. Nevertheless, you are correct in your perception. I waited until Akasuna was consumed and distracted with his newest enterprise in South America. Knowing his nephew, whom he foolishly left in charge, had no head for business I undercut every single one of his suppliers until he was close to bankruptcy, then, made a public bid for the majority.”

“Sabaku san caved like sinking sand.” Tobirama watched her carefully. “It was business Sakura, nothing personal, just business.”

Sakura’s hands rose to cover her mouth in shock.

Sasori grit his teeth and clenched his fists. “Just business was it? You’re going to regret your words Senju san. I’ll make sure of it.”

“Business.” Sasori heard Sakura’s voice over the surveillance feed. “I wonder if it was just business to Akasuna san when he found out his nephew lost his company to Senju and Uchiha Bros. I wonder if it was just business when he saw his nephew’s signature on the contract that transferred his company to you and the Uchiha, Tobirama.”

Sasori was surprised by her anger, and pleased.

Sasori watched as Sakura crossed the small space that separated her from Tobirama, drew her hand back and slapped him hard across the face. He watched as Tobirama’s stunned face snapped to the side from the impact of Sakura’s small palm, reveled in the shock the man clearly felt, then smirked smugly as Sakura walked to her front door, holding it open for Tobirama.

“I thought you were better than that Tobirama.” Sakura could barely hold her anger in. “Please leave. You’re not the man I thought you were.”


	13. Chapter 13

What luck, Sasori continued to watch Sakura long after the Senju had left her apartment. If Sakura hadn’t had food in her new apartment to prepare, more than likely she would have joined the Senju for dinner out, and he never would have witnessed such a glorious sight.

Gaara would be rewarded, handsomely.

This was vital information that he would use to take down Senju & Uchiha Bros. for good. A moral person like Sakura was easily manipulated. The passion of their own righteousness drove them, fueled them and he would use that righteous fury to his own ends, for his own wants and desires.

He paused. She was moral but she was also clever. She had revealed her shrewd mind to him unwittingly this evening, but he was much more cunning and vastly more cynical than she was. Surely she wasn’t a threat to him. Sasori shook his head dismissing the ridiculous thought. A pawn, that’s what she was, a clever pawn, but a pawn nonetheless. 

Like Gaara. Useful, valued to a point but ultimately, if he had to, he could throw them away. In the end, he shifted in his seat, everyone was expendable but him.

Sasori’s nimble fingers flicked deftly over the user panel in front of him, turning on more and more cameras he had placed in Sakura’s apartment. He wanted to see everything, he didn’t want to miss a thing. There was no angle he couldn’t bring into his field of vision, there was no place in her home he wasn’t privy to.

Every sight, every sound she made was for him to enjoy and analyze.

Lifting his glass of white wine to his lips he watched Sakura eat her dinner. Strong fingers picked up a seared scallop in lobster sauce and popped it into his mouth. It was almost as though they were eating dinner together. The thought of eating dinner with Sakura made him smile. Perhaps later, after she settled into her new role as his executive assistant.

His assistant, the very thought of the woman assisting him in his everyday routine had irked him, annoyed him no less than twenty four hours ago, but now, now he found himself looking forward to tomorrow with unprecedented glee.

Sasori dabbed at the corner of his mouth with his napkin and wondered if Sakura enjoyed scallops. From her conversation earlier he knew she preferred plain grilled fish over lobster. What else did she like he wondered. What other surprises did she have hiding in that small compact little package?

He couldn’t wait to find out.

Steam rose up from the bath in fairy wisps. Sakura frowned into the water, her wash bucket forgotten in her hand, the soap she had found in the linen closet resting on her barely towel covered knee.

Sasori laid back against the pillows of his large bed, his tablet resting back against his drawn up knees. He had left his office over an hour ago when Sakura had finished eating, picked up a book from her day bag and sat down on her couch to read.

Now, home and alone in the privacy of his bedroom, he continued to watch her, angry at himself for tucking his phone in his pocket for the short walk back to his apartment. He had missed her disrobing, but at least he had pulled his surveillance monitor back up in time to see her towel wrapped form bending over the traditional bath to fill it.

She was more slender than he thought. Her clothes must not be nearly as form fitting as they appeared to be. Admittedly, this pleased him. Every woman nowadays seemed to wear the tightest, most form fitting clothes possible. It was crude, it was trashy and he despised it. Sakura however, had class, poise and self respect. He found it to be an extremely attractive quality.

He had also noticed she wore very little makeup. A bit of eyeliner, a light lip gloss and the barest dusting of light green eyeshadow as he recalled from their introduction earlier. In his opinion, which was the only one that mattered as far as he was concerned, she needn't bother with makeup at all. She was naturally beautiful. Like a doll, a perfect doll.

Sakura stood up, allowing her towel to fall to the floor at her feet, and filled her wash bucket. Sasori took in a sharp breath, his knee twitched causing his tablet to fall to the side. Righting the small rectangle back against his knees, Sasori watched Sakura clean herself.

As soon as she had begun, she had finished and was submerged in the steaming bathwater before Sasori had gotten his fill. His eyes traced the curve of her throat as she leaned her head against the side of the round tub, her feet pressed up against the submerged bench on the other side. He could hear her sigh, he watched her smile in bliss as the heat soothed her. His fingers twitched against the sides of his tablet and he closed his eyes, turning his tablet off without looking at it.

Eventually he opened them again to look at the clock by his bed. 10pm. It would be a long night.

Tobirama stood in the middle of his temporary living room staring down at his phone in his hand. Hashirama had texted him some nonsense about a bet he had made with the Uchiha, and how he was counting on him. It made absolutely no sense. 

He didn’t care about some dumb bet of his brother’s. All he cared about was Sakura. He could still feel the sharp sting on his cheek where she had slapped him. She hadn’t hurt him of course, not physically. The look in her eyes when she had told him that he wasn’t the man she thought he was, the disappointment behind her tone, the disgust. She was disgusted with him.

It was a harsh wake up call. He cared what she thought about him, that’s why he felt like this. He cared about her, a lot more than he originally thought he did. He loved her. He frowned. This wasn’t how he had planned for things to go. This wasn’t how their first night in America was supposed to go. She always did things like this, she always threw all of his carefully planned plans out the window with a flip of her hair, with her unpredictability.

“She doesn’t appreciate that this is how things are done. It wasn’t personal.” He defended himself to the empty room.

If Akasuna had taken it personally, it was his problem not Tobirama’s. Not Sakura’s and yet, she made it her problem, she judged him because, because that’s who she was. Tobirama shoved his phone in his pocket and pressed his fingers to his temples. That was one of the things he loved the most about her. Her empathy, her kindness but right now it was throwing a wrench into everything, particularly his emotions.

“Ugh.” Tobirama’s hands dropped to his side as he turned and walked down the hall to his bedroom. He would explain things to her in the morning, would try to make her understand why he had handled things the way he had. He only hoped her kindness extended beyond her anger. She was a logical woman, she would see that the way he had taken Akasuna’s company was the only way, the only option for Senju & Uchiha to gain their hold in the US.

In the morning, before they went into the office, he would try to make her understand. She would listen wouldn’t she? Tobirama began to unbutton his shirt. Sakura would hear him out, she knew him, she trusted him, she would see soon enough and when she did he could tell her, how much he cared about her, how he loved her.

Tobirama always planned everything, from start to finish. His life, from the time he was thirteen years old had been meticulously organized. His path in life had always been so clear, defined and assumed, until he had met Sakura Haruno and all of his plans, meant nothing if he couldn’t have her in his life. Little by little she had broken down every wall, every defense without knowing it, without knowing the effect she had on him, what she was doing to him, how she made him feel.

She would listen to him. She would understand. If she didn’t, he wasn’t sure what he would do.

Sakura blinked the sleep out of her eyes and stared at Tobirama on her front porch. “What time is it?”

“I know it’s a little early but I had to speak with you, about last night.” Tobirama stepped past her through the front door into her apartment without invitation.

Sakura groaned a loud groan and shut the door behind him. “I guess I’m awake now, no, it’s okay, I didn't need anymore sleep Tobirama. Sure I’ll make you breakfast.” She grumbled sarcastically under her breath as she followed his tall stiff back into her own living room.

“I’ll make breakfast.” Tobirama glanced at her as he walked into her kitchen and opened her refrigerator. “...and coffee.” He added, pulling her eggs from the shelf and setting them next to the rice maker.

“Ugh.” Sakura flopped back on her couch, curled up into a ball and closed her eyes to the clinking of cups and the sound of her range sparking.

Sasori sipped his own coffee as he watched Tobirama move effortlessly around Sakura’s kitchen. At first he had been annoyed that the Senju was visiting Sakura so early in the morning. It was clear to Sasori the woman needed at least another two hours of sleep to make up for the time difference of her travels. He assumed it would also be clear to the Senju, yet there he was pouring rice into Sakura’s rice maker, making her breakfast.

If Sasori had been a different man with a different temperament, he would have rolled his eyes at the seemingly pathetic display before him, but he wasn’t, so he watched, with lazy eyes as the Senju prepared breakfast contemplating the man’s intentions and possible results.

With his own western breakfast in front of him, Sasori watched Tobirama set rice bowl, eggs and coffee down on Sakura’s coffee table.

“Sakura, breakfast is ready. I made a pot of coffee.” Tobirama bent over at the waist beside the couch and shook Sakura's shoulder gently. “I made it strong, the way you like it.”

“Hum?” Sakura sat up sniffing like a truffle pig at the food and coffee on the table in front of her, a small smile on her lips.

“Here.” Tobirama lifted her rice bowl up for her in one hand, chopsticks resting on the edge of the bowl.

“Thanks.” Sakura mumbled, still half asleep as she took the bowl and chopsticks from Tobirama with a soft smile.

“It was my pleasure Sakura. It is also the least I could do. If you will allow me to explain a few things to you…” He paused when he saw her shoulders stiffen.

“Breakfast doesn’t make what you did okay Tobirama.” She was starting to wake up now.

“I know. Let me explain.” He motioned to her coffee. “Please.”

“I’m listening.” Sakura set her rice down in favor of her coffee, watching Tobirama shift in his seat in front of her over the rim of her mug. “Tell me Tobirama, why you of all people would stoop so low to take someone's life’s work from them in such a cowardly manner.”

“Life’s work?” Sasori snorted. “I’m only ten years your senior my dear, the same age as the Senju.” Sasori patted the side of his cheek. Usually people assumed he was much younger than he was, not older. He wondered if he was looking particularly haggard as of late.

“First, I want this made very clear. Akasuna was not crippled financially by this takeover over Sakura, and it is called strategy not cowardice. This is not his only business.” Tobirama began. 

“I did my research on him like I said Tobirama, this is his only business.” She didn’t understand why Tobirama would lie to her, he had never lied to her before, this didn’t make sense. “Stealing his company out from under him while he is out of the country from his inept nephew is cowardly Tobirama.” She set her mouth, her eye sparking.

“This is his only legitimate business Sakura.” Tobirama clarified, ignoring the fact she had just called him a coward. “It’s loss wouldn’t bury him, he has numerous other holding around the world to fall back on. This is the only business he can operate openly.”

“Legitimate.” Sakura’s brows furrowed as his words sunk in. “Oh.”

“You’re aware of Izuna’s shadow companies in Kabukicho aren’t you Sakura?” Tobirama knew she was well aware of the love hotels and their workers that Izuna Uchiha ran under the radar of his older brother.

“I am.” She refilled her coffee cup. “Izuna doesn’t stay there though, he doesn’t even balance the books. He sends Sasuke to check their books for him.” Her mouth grew tight at the memory.

Tobirama nodded. “Those businesses, those little side acts are nothing compared to the shadow businesses Akasuna has spread out all over the world drawing in millions and millions of dollars a year.”

“Like love hotels? You mean brothels or sex shops?” She didn’t understand, what could be worse than a brothel?

Sasori gripped his coffee mug to cracking. Of course the Senju knew of his other dealings, of course he would have dug them up but to tell the woman about them, was unnecessary. He had been told by Gaara that the younger Senju was much more refined than his elder brother, was less prone to blabbing and yet here he was telling the woman about his less than pristine endeavours.

Sasori sighed. “No matter.” Turning the woman against the Senju would have been entertaining but it wasn’t necessary to his plan. Amusing, but not necessary. He would just have to work a little harder to gain her trust. Her righteous sympathy would do, for now. He could always turn her against him later, if he changed his mind.

Tobirama shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “No Sakura, not sex shops or love hotels.”

“Then?” Sakura took a bit of her rice into her mouth.

“Akasuna buys and sells body parts. Human body parts.” Tobirama watched the bowl drop from her hands. Catching it before it could hit the table he grimaced. Perhaps he should have sugar coated his words, just this once for her.


	14. Chapter 14

Sakura could feel the oppressive weight of his stare, she didn’t have to turn around to know that Akasuna was standing behind her. Her neck began to tingle, just at the base, where his teeth would connect before they ripped her limb from limb. She swallowed and closed her eyes trying to focus on the computer screen before her.

‘Human body parts’, Tobirama’s words burned into the backs of her eyes as she tried in vain to read and then reread the words on her computer screen.

“After you review those contracts meet me in my office.” Sasori laid his hand lightly on the stack of portfolios he had Gaara set on her desk before dawn. “Make note of any corrections that must be made. Do not make the corrections yourself, not until I know, you know, what you’re doing will I allow you that privilege.”

Sakura nodded, her eyes fixed on the screen before her, fully aware that he was wording his request to put her in a more submissive mindset. She had trained under Madara Uchiha. She might not have as much experience as others in her field but growing up with the Uchiha and mentoring under one for the last two years had served her well. However, she never realized until now, how well.

Akasuna wasn’t an Uchiha, he wasn’t even a Senju. The atmosphere of the office wasn’t like the atmosphere of the office at home, the only other office she had known, worked out of. Akasuna was analyzing her, testing her in a way Madara never had, hadn’t needed to. She understood perfectly well what Sasori was doing.

Sasori waited for a verbal reply, which never came. Stubborn woman...was she being obstinate on purpose or was she that intimidated by him after her and the Senju’s conversation?

“You will be sharing this office with my nephew Gaara, until the office I had originally planned for you is finished.” He continued to stand behind her just out of her peripheral vision. “When it is finished to my satisfaction, you will be moved into it immediately.” He waited for her to respond again.

Silence.

“It is connected to my office as an assistant’s office should be, hence the remodeling.” He watched her fingers twitch on her mouse and smirked. Just a bit more…

“You will fetch my coffee for me every morning and bring my lunch to me every afternoon that you aren’t scheduled to assist the Senju.” He waited.

Sakura breathed in through her nose and out through her mouth.

“If Gaara makes any requests from you, you are to obey.”

A grunt. He could see she was trying to control her temper, and failing. Almost, so close, he almost smiled in anticipation. The next one ought to do it.

“You will have dinner with me in my home this evening alone.”

Sakura spun around in her chair, her eyes sparking with annoyance. “I’m not a dog. Stop giving me ridiculous requests. I’m not your servant, your maid or your secretary. I’m your assistant. I’m not an errand girl or your escort either!” She growled out at him. “I know what you’re doing.”

Sasori linked his fingers together behind his back and looked down at her. “You are my personal assistant are you not?” He asked her. “Your job is to assist me, correct?”

“Yes but…”

“It would be of great assistance for you to bring me my coffee in the mornings and my lunch in the afternoon. Gaara is my right hand of the company, my equal in status for now so you will also be assisting him and doing his bidding within reasonable terms.” Sasori drawled.

“Did you get coffee for the Senju back in Japan?” He inquired politely.

“Yes but…” Not for the last year, only in the beginning of my hire.

“Did you bring him lunch?” Sasori ignored her sputtering.

“I did but…” We ate lunch together when I brought him lunch, of my own free will, more as friends than boss and employee.

“Were you granted a promotion that hasn't been submitted to HR while on the plane from Japan to the United States?” He smirked.

“No but…” You son of a bitch, I know what this is really about! You want me to know you’re in power here just as much as Tobirama, but you’re not! Sakura clenched her teeth together trying to keep her temper in check.

“Then I will expect a fresh cup of coffee on my desk before I enter in the morning at 6am sharp, black and as hot as possible.” He watched her grit her teeth in amusement.

“Dinner is not within my pay range.” Sakura grasped onto the only thing she had left to use against him. Like hell I’m going to spend my free time catering to your ego asshole.

“Is this your colloquial way of asking for a raise, Sakura?” He smiled a devastatingly charming smile at her. For a moment it caught her off guard and she blinked at him. He smiled again, this time with teeth. Sakura narrowed her eyes at the redhead.

“No. However, having dinner with you is not in my job description.” She snorted at him. Was he trying to be funny? She was only mildly amused. He would need to try harder than that to win her over.

“Do you attend company fundraisers? Charities? Special events or client relations meetings after hours, Sakura?” He pressed his point.

“Yes but…” The man flipped back and forth like a fish, she would have to pay close attention to this one in order to keep up. This next year is going to be exhausting.

“Then I will see you at your front door at 9pm this evening, wear something nice and heels. We will be dining out.” Sasori turned on his heel before she could protest further.

Sakura growled low in her throat letting her head drop down onto her desk with a small thump then groaned again, loudly.

“Are you unwell?” A deep soft voice sounded from across her desk.

Sakura lifted her head up from her desk just enough to see Gaara seated at his own desk. “When did you get here?” She asked him, straightening up in her chair.

“Just now.” He replied watching her with unblinking sea salt eyes.

“Oh.” Sakura set her head back down on her desk and closed her eyes. She hadn’t even heard him enter the room. Was he there when his Uncle was? He had to have been, so he heard everything...she groaned again.

“You shouldn’t drop your head and expose your neck to a known enemy Sakura san, if you hope to live a long life.”

Sakura’s head snapped back up from her desk and she gawked at the solemn redhead across from her. “What did you say?” She had heard him...

“I said you shouldn’t expose your neck to a known enemy.” He blinked once at her. “If you hope to live a long life.” He added, noting her expression. 

Amused, she was amused. He didn’t understand, she wasn’t mad? Most people tended to avoid his rather odd way of thinking, speaking. He was pleased she didn’t seem to mind his way of expressing himself.

“What a peculiar thing to say.” She smiled at him pleasantly then laughed. “I can’t fault you for your caution though. It is rather foolish of me but I don’t consider you my enemy.”

“We are strangers, we are enemies.” Gaara said in his flat monotone voice, watching her with increasing interest.

“We are strangers, yes, I suppose you’re right but I don’t consider you my enemy. I don’t have any enemies.” She told him with another smile.

Gaara continued to observe her. She hadn’t been put off by his bluntness. He opened his mouth to speak again but was interrupted by his phone ringing.

“Sabaku.” Gaara answered his phone.

“I apologize uncle.” Gaara hung his phone up, turned to the left and grabbed a stack of portfolios off the corner of his desk.

“Is everything okay?” Sakura asked him, puzzled.

“I’m conversing with you too much.” Gaara didn’t look up at her or speak again for several minutes.

Sakura stared at him, unsure what to make of this odd situation. Just as she was about to open her mouth to speak Gaara spoke to her again, much more quietly than he had been speaking before.

“I’m sorry for taking liberties with your time.” He looked up at her from his work briefly before returning his eyes back to the portfolio in front of him. “I don’t converse with many people.”

“You weren’t taking liberties Gaara san, may I call you Gaara san? I should apologize to you actually. I think I may have been a little rude to you yesterday. You see, I didn’t know who you were on the plane and it gave me a bit of a shock to learn you were Akasuna’s nephew.” 

Sakura shrugged and smiled at him at the same time. “I didn’t make the best impression with either of you.”

Gaara’s eyes slowly rose back to hers. Two heart beats passed uncomfortably between them.

“Thank you.” He murmured almost too quietly for her to hear. “For your kindness.” He rose from his seat abruptly and left the office before his phone could ring again.

“This is weird.” Sakura took a deep breath and ran her fingers through her hair, grumbled a bit at her loose wayward locks and worked for the next few hours alone. Gaara, it seemed, had work to attend to elsewhere.

After breakfast that morning Tobirama had refused to leave until she had heard him out and listened to everything he had to say about what he both knew and suspected of Akasuna. Their long conversation had barely given her enough time to dress and brush her teeth after he was done talking. She had never heard Tobirama talk so much. She didn’t know he could talk so much.

Sasori Akasuna bought and sold human body parts. Illegally of course. In third world countries where the local law enforcement or government could be bribed or flat out bought. Tobirama knew that one of the companies, the newest one was in Gaara Sabaku’s name, not his uncle’s but wasn’t sure what kind of company it was or what they traded in.

It was a lot to take in. It was a world she had only heard of in fleeting news reels, movies or horror stories friends told one another at sleepovers. It wasn’t part of her world. It was a world she wanted no part in. A world the Uchiha had gone to great lengths to protect her from, until Tobirama decided she was joining him in the United States.

Tobirama had apologized to her. Explained he hadn’t told her because he knew, if she knew, she wouldn’t have come with him on this trip. He was correct. If she knew the man she would be working closely with for the next twelve months was a human body parts salesman, she never would have come.

When she had protested that things like this simply didn’t happen in the real world he had given her a look of such pity and remorse. She had deflated. He wasn’t lying. He wouldn’t lie to her about something like this and she knew it.

“So, how does he uh, get them?” She had asked him, her breakfast forgotten on her coffee table along with her coffee.

“Are you sure you want to know?” He wasn’t making fun of her. He was asking her seriously, if she wanted him to tell her or not. “You don’t need to be afraid. I doubt he does it himself.”

“Himself.” Sakura could feel the bile rising in her throat. The thought of Akasuna doing such horrible things with his own hands hadn’t even occurred to her yet.

“He is a third party dealer. He buys them from...vendors and sells them at higher prices to people who move outside of the vendors' typical social circles.” Tobirama could see her paleing before his eyes. He needed to wrap this up and move onto what he had really come to speak to her about. “He’s just the middleman Sakura. He isn’t dangerous, just dirty. I doubt her handles the merchandise himself. You have nothing to worry about.”

“Dirty.” Sakura twisted her hands in her lap. “Right.”

“So you see.” He nudged her foot from under the table. “By taking this company I knew I wouldn’t cripple him and it was the only legitimate company he had that we could take. I had no interest in his other forms of capital. To leave an adversary completely crippled is bad business.”

Sakura nodded, of course. Tobirama, though not quite the man she thought he was, wasn’t a bad man. She was starting to understand. “Why did you want to take Akasuna’s company in the first place though? From what it sounds like, it sounds like you were targeting him specifically.”

“Not at all. Like I said before, it isn’t personal, it’s just business. The company I wanted was actually Smithson & Barr, for their distribution.” He explained. I had to take Akasuna Acquisition, they were too closely linked in the United States for me to take one and not the other.”

“Distribution? Oh!” Sakura understood now. “You wanted to use Akasuna’s Japanese reputation and foothold in the United States and then Smithson & Barr’s American contacts to further Senju and Uchiha co. but since they had been allied with one another so long you had to acquire them both at the same time so they wouldn't go under after the take over.”

Tobirama smiled. She connected dots not only accurately but swiftly. Like he had hoped, she understood. “Exactly. You see, if I had waited until Akasuna returned to the United States, Senju & Uchiha never would have been able to work out a deal with the man because to him, this company is personal. I’ve put a rising bid in for the company for the last decade, offered Akasuna more than three times what the company is actually worth.”

“It isn’t about the money then.” Sakura picked her coffee back up and sipped as she thought about the possible reasoning behind Akasuna’s unwillingness to sell his company for three times what it was worth. “Why wouldn’t he sell it to us, then make a new company, using the buyout money?” She asked.

“Well, for one, as part of the contract his clients belong to Akasuna Acquisitions, now us because we bought the company and all of it’s holdings. So he would lose his ties to the industry.” Tobirama told her.

“He could move to a different industry, or combine one or two of his other uh, ventures.” She thought out loud. “Doesn’t his family have several successful businesses in Japan?”

“They do but they aren’t as large or as profitable as Akasuna Acquisitions was. We weren’t interested in them anyway. The point of this was to move our circle of influence to the States.” Tobirama looked down at his watch. There was one more thing he wanted, needed to speak to her about.

“I think I understand. I still don’t agree with how you took his company from him Tobirama, but I guess I understand. It was the smoothest way to get what you wanted, with as little backlash as possible but Akasuna, surely you must know that the man uh...” 

“I am aware of his animosity. It will fade over time. We’ve allowed him to stay on as the General Manager. He will see in time we have no intentions of dismantling his life’s work.” Tobirama assured her. “He isn’t the first company we’ve taken control of by force Sakura and he won’t be the last. With patience, it all works out in the end, it always does.” He assured her.

Sakura set her coffee cup down on the table and reached across the space between to patt Tobirama’s hand. “I understand. I trust you. No keeping things from me from now on though okay?”

Tobirama nodded. If he spoke he might choke. She understood or she was trying to understand at least. “You’re amazing, you know that?”

“What?” Sakura stopped patting Tobirama’s hand. He rarely praised her.

“You’re amazing, thank you Sakura, for listening to me.” His fingers wrapped around her smaller ones, engulfing them in his grasp. Rising to his feet, he walked around the small coffee table and sat down beside her on her couch. “I didn’t kiss you on the airplane to distract you.” He said bluntly.

“I mean, I did but not entirely for that reason. I kissed you because I knew you wouldn’t kiss me.” He took her other hand in his leaning forward a little. “After what happened by the spring, you remember don’t you? I knew that the next time one of us made a move, it would have to be me.”

He waited.

“Tobirama.” Sakura swallowed. What was he doing?

“We said we wouldn’t speak of it, that we would pretend it never happened.” He continued. “I don’t want to do that.”

“...but you said.” She began. He couldn’t possibly mean...

“I know what I said, Sakura. I don’t regret what I said. You were engaged at the time Sakura but that didn’t mean I wasn’t, that I’m not...interested in you.” He clarified.

“You’re interested in me? Romantically?” Sakura asked him, looking up into his eyes. He was serious.

“Yes.” 

“Why?” She didn’t understand. He hadn’t only rejected her, he had pushed her away, distanced himself from her for months.

“You make me feel the way music does.” He said simply, pulled her closer to himself, wrapped his arms around her and kissed her, just as her phone alarm started to go off telling her it was time to get ready for work.

Sakura walked down the nearly deserted hallway to Akasuna’s office and knocked on the side of the door before entering and bowing politely to the amber eyed crypt keeper of stolen limbs.

Tobirama had told her to keep calm, that she wasn’t in any danger, that he had known about all of this before they had even left Japan and that he wouldn’t have chosen her to accompany him if he thought she would be in any danger, and that he was interested in her, romantically. 

She touched the tips of her fingers to her lips. She trusted him.

It still didn’t make it any less uncomfortable to be in the man’s presence though. A weighted presence that had already been difficult before she learned of his clandestine affairs.

Sasori motioned her to one of the two seats near his desk as he finished his phone conversation. Sakura sat down, smoothing her skirt down her legs as she did so and waited patiently for him to complete his call.

“This is not what we agreed to, Lucas. We agreed to a flat rate of 70% a head. 70% to me, and 30% to you and your men. You wouldn’t be trying to take advantage of my generous nature would you Lucas? There are other dealers, need I remind you who you’re dealing with?” Sasori leaned over his desk, his eyes on the golden hour arm of his desk clock. Noon.

‘Heads?’, Sakura averted her eyes. He wouldn’t speak of such things in front of me, she began pleating the fabric of her skirt in her anxiety. Would he?

“See that you don’t forget.” Sasori hung the phone up with a snap. “Please accept my apologies my dear.” Sasori watched Sakura fidget in the seat before him.

He had heard her conversation with the Senju that morning of course. He smirked at what she must be thinking. “So expressive my dear.” He commented.

“Sorry?” Sakura didn’t understand what he was referring to. Her nose scrunched up in confusion making Sasori smile.

“A figure of speech.” He waved his hand gracefully through the air taking note how her eyes followed the movement. He smiled pleasantly at her again making her blush. “Fascinating.”

“What is?” Sakura didn’t know what he was referring to but she knew she was extremely uncomfortable.

“May I say what a beautiful shade of blue that is. One would think at first glance it would clash with the green of your eyes, yet, I believe it makes them sparkle even more brightly than they already do.” He watched her squirm, enjoying himself.

“Um, Akasuna san, I don’t think that.. Um” Sakura choked as he narrowed his eyes at her. 

“An observation my dear, nothing more. Now, where shall we go for lunch?” He stood up from his chair, reaching for his suit coat against the wall. “There is a very nice Italian restaurant not far from here, do you like Italian food, Sakura?”

“What? No, I mean, I’ve never had Italian food Akasuna san but I thought I was supposed to bring you lunch not go to lunch with you.” She began to protest. She had made plans with Tobirama for lunch. He was probably waiting for her down stairs. She had come to Akasuna’s office to ask him what he wanted for lunch, not to join him in it.

“You will accompany me to lunch, come let us go.” He placed a warm hand to her lower back when she rose from her seat and ushered her to a side door of his office.

Sakura watched as he pressed his palm to a black shiny panel causing the book shelf in front of them to swing silently open revealing a short narrow hall then an elevator door just large enough for two.

“After you my dear.” Sasori pushed her into the elevator with more force than was necessary.

Sakura stumbled only slightly. “My coat…”

“Will not be required.” Sasori pulled his suit coat off, the one he had just put on, and draped it over her shoulders as the elevator doors opened to what appeared to be the back of a small storage closet and another narrow hallway. “This way.” Sasori took her hand and pulled her along after him.

“Are you a spy or something?” Sakura trotted a bit to keep up with him.

“Super spy, super villain, something like that.” He flicked the end of her nose and almost manhandled her into a shiny black tinted windowed sedan that had been waiting for them in the alley behind their office building.

“Where are we going?” Sakura demanded, her head turning left then right.

He could see the fear in her eyes, he loved it. Sasori reached out for her, pulling her close to his side and pet the hair down the side of her face as she squirmed to get away from him. “To lunch my dear.”


	15. Chapter 15

Hashirama glanced from his computer to his phone when it beeped at him. Picking it up he was pleased to see a text message from his brother. After reading it he was less pleased.

-Akasuna just abducted Sakura under the guise of lunch-

Hashirama rubbed his chin in thought. Of course he did. Sakura was delightful. Hashirama texted his brother back.

-It’s just lunch Tobi-

He had done his own research into the man after Tobirama had chosen Sakura to accompany him to American. Not because he didn’t trust Tobi’s research, but because sometimes he saw things that Tobirama overlooked, things Tobi didn’t think were important. What he found, pleased him but he didn’t dare tell his brother that. 

Hashirama’s phone beeped again.

-Sakura didn’t seem very pleased to join him. He pushed her into the car.-

Hashirama stared down at his brother’s message. Something was off about this situation. Tobirama hated to text people and he had just texted him twice in a row. Hashirama swiped his thumb across the message and listened as the phone rang once before Tobirama picked up the line.

“I was waiting for her in the front of the building, heard noises coming from the side alley and saw him push her into a car.” Tobirama began to speak without a proper greeting. “When I questioned his nephew, he informed me that his uncle was taking Sakura out to lunch for her first day of work.”

There was a pause on the other end of the line.

“We were going to have lunch together.”

Hashirama’s mouth dropped open. Tobirama was...jealous? His heart began to beat so quickly he was sure his brother could hear it all the way in America. “Tobi that…”

“I don’t want to hear any of your sappy bullshit Hashirama. What do I do?”

Hashirama’s jaw dropped open once more. Tobi was asking him for advice? On women?

“Ask her how her lunch was when she returns to the office.” He replied calmly.

“What? That’s it? Shouldn’t I go find her?” Tobirama protested.

“What would you say to her if you did find her and Akasuna? How would that make you look?” Hashirama sat back in his chair and propped his feet up on his desk thoroughly enjoying himself. Feeling for once, like the big brother he was.

“Crazy.” Tobirama admitted. “So I should just ask her how her lunch was?”

“If she doesn’t tell you first. You know Sakura. I dare say perhaps better than any of us, even better than Madara maybe. You’ve spent the most time with her over the past two years at work. She’ll come to you I bet.” Hashirama was sure. Sakura would seek his brother out as soon as she returned to the office, if not before then via text.

“You had lunch plans with her?” Hashirama inquired.

“Yes.”

“She’ll text you then, to apologize. Don’t worry Tobi.” Hashirama chuckled to himself. He could see Tobirama in his mind’s eye, his hair spiky from running his hands through it, his eyes narrowed in distrust and his fingers tapping against the side of his leg in frustration at not being able to do anything, not having control over the situation.

“Uh…” Tobirama paused unsure how to proceed.

“What is it Tobi?” Hashirama grinned, he had never heard his brother so unsure of himself.

“I also told her I like her, was interested in dating her and have been for the last two years.”

Tobirama heard a click, a thud and a gasp. He could hear his brother’s muffled sputters on the other end of the phone. Then heavy breathing before, “You what?”

“You heard me.” Tobirama growled, he wasn’t going to repeat himself.

“Oh my gosh Tobi, that’s wonderful that’s fantastic that’s...wait, what did she say?” Hashirama gripped his phone, was he about to win his bet?

“Nothing. Her alarm went off and she left me in her living room to get ready for work.” Tobirama told him.

“Nothing at all, not even a ‘I like you too’, or…”

“She asked me why.” Tobirama said flatly.

“...and what did you tell her?” Hashirama held his breath.

Tobirama pinched the bridge of his nose, why in the hell had he started this conversation…”I told her she made me feel the way music does.”

Hashirama dropped his phone again, jumping into the air and clapped like an idiot, giggling like a girl and making so much noise Tobirama heard Madara throw the door of his brother’s office open demanding he shut the hell up and control himself and ask what the hell was going on to make him act like such a moron.

Tobirama continued to pinch the bridge of his nose. He never should have texted his brother.

“Akasuna took Sakura out to lunch.” Tobirama heard his brother tell the Uchiha before picking his phone up from the ground again.

“Is that so?” Madara scratched his chin, turned around and walked back out of Hashirama’s office deep in thought.

Hashirama turned his attention back to his brother. “You confessed Tobi, that is so great! When is the wedding?”

“I didn’t ask her to marry me idiot!” Tobirama nearly yelled into the phone. I simply informed her that I was interested in pursuing a relationship with her and now she is having lunch with Akasuna, alone.”

Hashirama softened at the tone of his brother’s voice. As he suspected all along, his little brother was in love, with Sakura Haruno. “It’s going to be okay Tobi. Sakura likes you too.”

Tobirama let out the breath he didn’t know he had been holding. “I know that, but…”

“I might act like an idiot but we both know I’m not. I’ve seen the way you look at her Tobi, I see the way she looks at you when you aren’t looking. Don’t worry.” Hashirama smiled, his eyes moist. “Akasuna is a powerful man, but he has no heart, not like you. A man like that could never steal her affections from you.” Hashirama said confidently.

“Thank you, brother.” Tobirama bowed his head even though Hashirama couldn’t see him and hung up his phone.

Sakura sat down across the table from Akasuna, avoiding his eye. He hadn’t stopped looking at her since he had pushed her into his car ten minutes ago. It was starting to make her even more uncomfortable than she already was, and he knew it. In fact, he seemed to be enjoying her discomfort, the prick.

“Is there something about my face you find amusing?” Sakura asked the redhead sarcastically, she was fed up with his ‘I’m better than you’ attitude. His smug demeanor reminded her of Sasuke. So aloof, so pompous. She growled under her breath. 

On the car ride she thought the best way to handle this would be to be polite, to kill him with kindness but as the driver pulled up to the front of the restaurant and she noticed, what she dubbed his ‘Signature smirk’, all thoughts of diplomacy flew out the window.

“Yes.” He continued to stare at her as the waitress set their water down in front of them and handed them each a menu.

“Do you need more time to decide what you’d like?” The waitress smiled, looking politely from Sakura to Sasori.

“Seeing as we haven’t even opened our menus yet, one might assume the answer to be yes.” Sasori didn’t even give the woman the courtesy of looking at her as he spoke, he simply continued to watch Sakura and her reaction to his words.

“I’ll come back later then.” The waitress said with clipped syllables, turned on her heel and flounced off.

“You’re rude.” Sakura told him what he had expected her to say to him after his display.

“Am I? Or do I simply lack the patience and understanding for stupidity that others seem to possess in spades, pointlessly.” He asked her, this time without smirking.

“You are. I told you I didn’t want to go to lunch with you and yet…” She was cut off.

“...and yet here you are my dear. If you were really so opposed to joining me for lunch I dare say you would have fought back much harder than you did. I’m starting to think that perhaps you were only playing with me, that you in fact were hoping for an invite to lunch.” He watched the red creep up from her neck to bleed across her cheeks. “Admit it, you like me.”

“Besides,” He ignored her glaring eyes. “I told you before, you’re here to assist me in whatever form I need you to.”

“I loathe you.” Sakura leaned forward across the table hissing vehemently.

“Again, and I don’t enjoy repeating myself dear, if you loathe me as much as you claim, you wouldn’t be sitting here with me now.” He smiled pleasantly.

“You don’t know me well enough to make such claims.” Sakura leaned back in her seat and looked around the restaurant.

“I’m trying to get to know you now, but you’re being rather difficult.” He watched her eyes flicker from table to table, picture to picture, her eyes began to glow with interest making him smile again.

“It’s a far cry from Japan isn’t it my dear?” Sasori said more conversationaly than threateningly. He could almost see the wheels of thought turning, connecting, in her head at her curiosity, her observations.

“It’s different I’ll admit. It’s not what I expected at all.” Sakura murmured, forgetting her animosity in the face of her surroundings. “Everyone told me Detroit was dirty, that there were low life’s and vagrants everywhere but I haven’t seen any yet.” She said absently, nodding to a table beside them.

“What’s that?” She gestured to a dish that a waiter was setting in front of a man in a three piece dark grey suit.

“They call it shrimp scampi. The pasta with the white sauce is alfredo and the long grained bread is called a breadstick.” He explained.

“I know what a bread stick is.” She grumbled, was he making fun of her?

“You asked.” He picked his menu up, his eyes passing up and down the items available. “Next time be more specific.”

Sakura rolled her eyes. “Ass.”

Sasori chuckled to himself.

“Pick up your menu dear, unless you wish me to say something untoward to our waitress again.” He nudged her menu toward her, his eyes dancing in delight at her less than amused expression.

“You enjoy it don’t you, belittling people?” She asked him seriously.

“Entertainment comes in all forms, Sakura. My mind is better occupied with verbal jabs than physical cruelty.” There was no humor in his voice, no sparkle in his eye when he spoke.

Sakura swallowed. “So it’s true.” She said quietly to herself, but not quietly enough.

“I assure you my dear, everything you’ve heard about me, everything you fear about me is true, and then some.” Sasori set his menu down, snapped his fingers for the waitress, then caught her hand under his, gripping it hard. “That, however, is not all that I am.”

Sakura’s eyes went wide. He was, no he wasn’t, she was overthinking this. How strange. 

“Ruthless.” She pulled her hand from under his. “You’re ruthless.” That wasn’t always a bad thing. The sale of questionably acquired human body parts however, was.

“Are you afraid?” He asked her, his voice low.

“I am not.” She didn’t even hesitate before answering him, which made him smile at her yet again.

“I see the Senju picked you for more than your pretty face, interesting.” Sasori smiled. She could see his teeth behind his lips, sharp, poised and ready to bite. She shivered. He smirked.


End file.
